


Through New Eyes

by Shadowkira



Category: Glee
Genre: Adventure, Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, Alternate Universe- Pokemon Setting, F/F, Fluff, Friendship, One Shot Collection, Romance, Skank!Quinn, punk!quinn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-03-29
Updated: 2014-05-05
Packaged: 2017-12-06 21:35:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 20,984
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/740411
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shadowkira/pseuds/Shadowkira
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of Quinntana one-shots, mostly AU, some may be continued later. Rating and genre may vary for each individual chapter but rated M to be safe. Chapter 1 Harry Potter Universe, Chapter 2 Pokémon Universe, Chapter 3 Season 3 Post Accident / Prom AU, Chapter 4 Future / New York AU...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Spell On You

**Summary** : One-shot is set in the Harry Potter Universe. Quinn always knew she was different but she had hoped that going to Hogwarts would put her amongst others like herself. Unfortunately for her, the harsh words still continue. Her fellow Witches and Wizards put off by her rare ability to change her appearance at will.

 **Rating** : M (Warning for non descriptive g!p)

 **Genre** : Hurt / Comfort / Friendship / Romance

 **Pairings** : Quinntana / Unholy Trinity Friendship

* * *

Quinn groaned, her back stiffening as Santana's nails dragged down its expanse.

She shuddered as the smaller body beneath her own arched up, pressing them more firmly together. At the rate they were going, she would be  
coming undone in no time. She couldn't have that, she knew Santana needed more than that. She wouldn't be a Finn Hudson. (The boy was a  
laughing stock, wide known for his inability to keep it together long enough to pleasure whoever he was able to get close to.)

Quinn furrowed her brows, tendrils of pink hair clinging to the slight sheen of sweat that covered her face. Her mind raced, trying to find  
something to distract herself from her pleasure so that she could prolong the experience.

The beginning, what led up to this moment, was a good place to start.

 

 

 

 

 

xxx

Quinn was as relieved as her parents were the day that her letter came from Hogwarts, the Muggles were eager to be rid of their strange  
adopted daughter.

She hadn't always been this way and they took every opportunity to remind her of that and how freakishly different she was.

When she started to go through puberty she had noticed other changes aside from the normal ones. Her hair would grow faster, stop growing  
and would even at times be shorter when she woke up. Her skin tone would change, her nails and even some facial features. She tried her  
best to hide it from her parents, even taking to skipping school so that her peers wouldn't see.

But the older she got, the harder it got to hide her 'condition.' She forced herself to concentrate in an attempt to control the changes and  
slowly but surely, she was able to.

In the end she decided to change her pretty but plain appearance to one of a much more contrasting affect. Vibrant pink, choppy, shoulder  
length hair. Pale skin and a tall, lithe body.

Her parents were less than pleased by her new look, another thing they reminded her of constantly. She had shrugged it off, returning full  
time to class now that she had her abilities under control.

Her other powers had begun to develop not long after, when the fights when her parents had gotten worse. Russell had always been bad at  
keeping his temper in check, especially with alcohol in his system. And it seemed there was always some form of it running through his veins  
anymore.

The first night he got angry enough to hit her was the night that she realized she could do more than change her looks. He had been thrown  
back several feet into their living room wall, after slamming heavily into the back of the couch, knocking it over with his momentum.

She had run away that night, roaming the streets for several days before coming back. They tried to ignore it, it how the Fabray's  
operated.

When ignoring it didn't work, they went back to fighting, Judy Fabray looked on from the outskirts of whatever room they were in. Her eyes  
full of disapproval and the glass in her hand filled with the alcohol of the evening.

Quinn had thought her prayers, along with her parent's, were answered when the letter arrived. They hastily helped her pack and pushed her in  
the direction she needed to go. The headmaster, Minerva McGonagall, had come personally to help her get her proper supplies for  
school.

 

 

 

 

 

xxx

At first, things at Hogwarts went well. She was too intent on taking everything in to be overly friendly at first, just relieved to be  
around people who understood what it meant to be different. They were all different, so here, she was normal.

Or so she thought.

She had developed a good amount of control of her shape shifting abilities but there were still moments in which she lost control.  
Sometimes if she dozed off in class, part of her facade would shift. Or if she sneezed, her appearance would flicker. Shifting back momentarily  
to her normal appearance. The girl with long, blonde hair.

Her fellow students started to pick up on her mistakes and she once again became an outsider. Her kind, Metamorphmagi as she was told by  
Minerva, were very rare. And despite constant awe from her teachers, she was met with disdain from her fellow students.

All but one that is, Brittany S Pierce, a bubbly blonde from Hufflepuff was overly curious about the odd shape shifter. She found Quinn one  
day, lingering in the hallway after fleeing the classroom in tears because of cruel words from a boy from Slytherin house named Dave  
Karofsky.

"Hi!" The blonde said, plopping down next to the slumped form of the other girl. "My names Brittany, what's yours?" She asked, her big blue  
eyes twinkling in the sunlight filtering in through one of the windows over head.

"Quinn Fabray..." The pink haired girl replied quietly, her eyes still downcast.

Brittany's mouth fell open into a little 'o' and she leaned in closer to get a better look at Quinn's face. "You're the girl with the special  
powers!"

The other girl blanched at the comment, her frown deepening as she slowly looked over to meet the blonde's eyes. She was surprised to find  
only eager curiosity in the blue orbs watching her closely.

"Can you.. Can you show me? I've never seen a Meta- Metamo-" She stumbled over her words, her brow creasing as she tried to remember  
exactly what the term for someone with the shape shifting ability was.

"Metamorphamagi." Quinn offered, her voice still quiet.

Brittany nodded enthusiastically, "That's the one!"

Quinn couldn't help but chuckle, "I guess... I don't know what you want to see though."

The blonde chewed on the inside of her cheek for a moment, her brows once again creasing ever so slightly. "How about... Can you look like  
me? We could be twins!" She said, her brows shooting high on her forehead as she clapped her hands excitedly.

Quinn quirked a brow but nodded, she closed her eyes, brows furrowing slightly as she concentrated on the image of Brittany in her mind.

Her eyes opened slowly when a small gasp squeaked out of the girl beside her, "Woah! That's neato!"

The two sat talking for a while, their attention diverted when students began spilling out of the nearby classrooms and into the wide corridor.

"Brittany, did you skip class again?" An exasperated voice cried out over the din of other voices around them, Brittany turned away from  
Quinn. A wide smile tugging at her features.

"Tana! I made a friend!"

"What the hell?" The shorter girl gaped as she came into view of both of them, her brows furrowed in confusion.

Quinn coughed, shifting back to her pink hair and pale skin.

The brunette's eyes narrowed as she realized who her friend was sitting with, "Come on Brittany, let's go." She said, offering her hand to the  
blonde.

Brittany merely frowned, stuffing her hands into her robes and sending a mock glare toward her friend. "Santana... Don't be mean. Quinn is  
cool, we're totally twinsies now!"

She frowned slightly, having missed Quinn reverting to her trademark look.

"Come on Britt." Santana urged, "We've got to get your stuff so we can get to the dining hall."

Brittany chewed on her lip for a moment, her eyes flicking back toward Quinn. "Do you want to sit with us?"

 

 

 

 

 

xxx

Quinn's eyes rolled back in her head, snapped from her reverie by the combination of pleasure and pain. A low moan ripped from her throat as  
Santana's nails once again raked down her back.

"Harder." The brunette begged, her legs wrapping more tightly against the paler form, trying to pull Quinn's body further into her own.

She did as she was told, pressing her face into the crook of the brunette's neck and trying her best to keep herself together until the  
other girl was ready to fall apart.

 

 

 

 

 

xxx

Quinn's relationship with Santana had a slow start, she was sure it wouldn't have even come to anything had it not been for Brittany's  
insisting that Quinn hang out with them whenever she spotted the pink haired girl.

She had quickly learned that the only person that Santana Lopez listened to was Brittany, she truly cared for the blonde. And it seemed  
she only had room in her heart for the other girl, no one else. Santana never talked about her family and most of the other students thought  
she was as abrasive as Quinn had the day they had met.

She had learned to find Santana's caustic comments and raised voice attractive over time, the passion in which the brunette argued was  
definitely something she respected. It was the quiet and calmer moments though that won Quinn over, stealing her heart.

It was stupid really, now that she thought about it. It was overly obvious that Santana was head over heels for Brittany but Quinn fell  
for her anyway, her heart clenching whenever the two would link pinkies or whisper excitedly to one another.

She was surprised when Christmas rolled around and Santana had stayed behind, she thought at first that her tears were from missing her  
family. She had approached the other girl hesitantly, very few other people were in the dining hall that morning.

She slid into the seat beside the brunette, the girl instantly side eyed her with a wary expression.

"What's wrong?" She remembered asking in a small voice, Santana's eyes had darted away for a moment.

Her tongue swept across her bottom lip nervously before she responded, "Brittany broke up with me."

"What? Why?" Quinn asked, alarmed by the news. Last she knew, the two were perfectly happy together.

Santana shook her head, lowering her chin closer to her chest. "She... She loves people too much to love me, Quinn." The brunette whispered in  
a broken voice, a whimper bubbling up in her throat before she could catch it.

Quinn hadn't understood what she meant at first but the longer she had thought about it, the more it made sense. The week before, as students  
were getting ready to leave, Quinn had seen Brittany hanging out with a tall blonde boy named Sam Evans. He was a fellow Hufflepuff and was the  
Keeper for their Quidditch team. Brittany loved life as much as she loved people and it seemed she couldn't stay tied down for too long,  
even for her best friend.

"I'm sorry." She whispered finally as she reached out to squeeze the other girl's forearm gently.

 

 

 

 

 

xxx

Quinn had been reading in one of her favorite corridors of the castle, she was nestled on the ledge of a cool stone window sill. Occasionally  
looking up from her book to look out over the view her seat offered of the expansive school grounds.

"I knew I'd find you here."

Quinn smiled, replacing her book mark and looking toward the brunette.

The girl continued walking until she was standing next to Quinn, her eyes mischievous for the first time in days.

The pink haired girl was relieved to see that the dark circles and red tint had faded from Santana's eyes. She had only seen the brunette in  
passing, without the need to go to class Santana had locked herself in her dormitory. Three days, in another three, the rest of the student  
body would return and classes would come with them.

"Let's have some fun, yeah?" Santana asked, extending her hand to Quinn.

The taller girl quirked a brow, mildly concerned by what Santana considered 'fun.' Against her better judgement, she allowed herself to  
be tugged from her perch.

"We need to find our own secret place..." Santana mumbled as she led Quinn through the empty halls, the pink haired girl's teeth worried her  
lip.

She tugged on Santana's hand, making the girl slow to a stop. "Close your eyes."

Santana shot her a confused glare, "What?"

"Just... Trust me?" She asked, her eyes searching the brunette's.

Santana huffed but slammed her eyes shut, her arms folded tightly across her chest.

Quinn shook her head with a smile before tugging a folded up piece of parchment from her robes. She stuffed her book into her small bag  
before unfolding the thick paper once and digging her wand out with her free hand. " _I solemnly swear I am up to no good._ " She mumbled quickly, tapping her wand against the parchment.

She grinned and stuffed her wand away before opening the map and grabbing Santana's hand, "Don't open your eyes. Trust me."

The brunette swore under her breath but did as she was told, a smile tugged secretly at her lips as she allowed Quinn to lead her through  
the castle.

"Okay, you can open them now." Quinn said, shoving the folded map back into her robes.

Santana wrinkled her nose and looking back and forth down the empty corridor. "Where are we?" She asked, not hiding her annoyance.

"Seventh floor... You said we needed a secret place, I've heard whispers of one right around here." She said, her own eyes scanning the  
walls around them.

"What the hell are you talking about, Q?" The brunette asked, clearly exasperated now.

Quinn once again chewed on her lip, she tended to explore the castle when Brittany wasn't dragging her and Santana around.

Amused by her antics for finding a good reading spot, one of the many ghosts that frequented the castle had given her a tip. He had told her  
that students in the past had used a room on the seventh floor for whatever they needed.

Nearly Headless Nick had gone on to say that to find the room, all she needed to do was think about what she needed at the time.

"We need to think about what we need the room for." She mused aloud, eyes scanning the walls for any sign of an edge of a door.

Santana cocked her head to the side, watching as Quinn made her way over to a strange tapestry of a wizard failing in an attempt to teach  
trolls to dance ballet.

She started to pace behind the pink haired girl, "And you said we just have to think about it?" She huffed, rubbing at her eyes with the heels  
of her palms.

"Yes." Quinn answered, lifting the tapestry hesitantly and peeking at the stone behind it.

The pink haired girl turned, watching the brunette stalk back and forth impatiently. Her chin was thrust upward and her arms were once again  
folded tightly over her chest.

"I think you're high." Santana groused, turning her head sharply when Quinn let out a loud gasp.

"Santana, it worked!"

"What?" The brunette asked, turning to look at the wall behind her.

Sure enough, a large wooden door had appeared opposite of the tapestry. Santana blinked, narrowing her eyes as Quinn moved passed her to  
inspect the door.

"Wait, you sound surprised. Did you really walk us the whole way up here without knowing it would work?"

Quinn chose not to respond, in all honesty she had her doubts. She had wanted to investigate since the ghost had caught her moving around the  
castle with the Marauders map but hadn't wanted to do it alone. The transparent man had seemed friendly enough but she was always slow to  
trust.

"You coming?" She asked, grinning over her shoulder at the shorter girl.

Santana rolled her eyes but followed her into the room anyway, it was large and open. Pillows of all shapes and sizes lined the room, giving  
it a plush and relaxing feel. Thick, half melted candles flickered along decorative indents almost at the top of the stone walls.

"Wow, this is... Nice." Quinn said, surprised by the warm and beautiful atmosphere. It reminded her of one of the exotic harem rooms, rich warm  
tones of yellow, orange and red enveloping them. The walls were finished with decorative archways, textured mirrors set between them to  
help scatter the dim light flickering off of the candles.

Santana smirked as she took in their surroundings, a dark brow arched high on her forehead as she watched Quinn poke around for a good spot  
to sit.

She sighed and watched as the pink haired girl rearranged some of the pillows once she settled on a spot. "You didn't ask me what I thought  
about..." She mumbled, playing with a stray piece of string that poked free of her robes.

Quinn paused for a moment, glancing over her shoulder curiously at the brunette. "What did you think about?"

The shorter girl rolled her eyes, folding her arms across her chest with a huff. Quinn frowned before turning back to her makeshift seat,  
she was just about to lower herself to it when a hand caught her arm.

"You really know how to ruin the mood, Fabray." Santana whispered against her ear, the shorter girl's tanned arms wrapping tightly around  
her waist.

Quinn stiffened in the embrace, a shiver rolling down her spine as Santana's teeth nipped the back of her neck. "I'll tell you one  
thing... You reading was not on my mind."

The pink haired girl let out a surprised squeak and twisted around to face the other girl as she was pushed down onto the pillows playfully.  
Her teeth worried her lip as she looked up into the dark eyes that were currently boring into her own.

"S-Santana... I-"

"Shhh." The brunette soothed, lowering herself down onto the pillows beside the taller girl. "I've seen the way you look at me..." Her eyes  
lowered, taking in the slightly visible throbbing of the vein that ran down Quinn's neck. Her eyes raised slowly over the expanse of pale  
flesh until they were sweeping passed flushed cheeks before finally reaching Quinn's half lidded gaze.

"I know you want me Quinn. And I want," She breathed in a quick breath, her brows furrowing together for a moment. "I _need_ you." She amended,  
her voice a little softer than before.

Quinn gulped, understanding seeping into her brain through the lusty haze that had begun to encase it. Santana needed a distraction, she needed  
to feel something other than her heartbreak.

She knew she would regret it but she couldn't say no, reaching out tentatively, Quinn cupped the other girl's cheek. "Okay."

Without a word, Santana closed the distance between them. The kiss was hard and desperate but it was everything Quinn had imagined it would  
be. She moaned softly against Santana's lips, savoring the tart cherry taste of lip gloss that came with them.

She made no move to stop the shorter girl when Santana pushed her back more fully into the pillows and settled herself between her legs.  
Santana's hands slid along the side of her neck and over her cheeks before tangling deeply into her short pink hair.

Quinn whimpered when Santana pulled away slightly, her teeth teasing Quinn's bottom lip as her eyes fluttered open.

She stared at the other girl for a moment, the only sounds between them were the rapid beating of their hearts and rough breathing.

"Can I try something?" She asked, her voice unusually small.

Quinn's brows furrowed slightly but she nodded, her curiosity piqued.

Santana's hands moved slowly over her features, tracing the contours of her face carefully. "How does it work?"

It took Quinn's hazy mind a moment to catch up with her train of thought, "I just concentrate on it changing... And it changes." She  
answered softly, desperately hoping that this wasn't some cruel trick.

She had been waiting for it, waiting for the harsh words to return. The same judgmental cruelty that the other student's still kept up with  
when the two girls weren't around.

Brittany wasn't there to be the buffer anymore and she didn't think the blonde would be even after she returned from the holiday break.

A crease formed between Santana's brows as she gently tugged at the side of Quinn's mouth, pulling the skin of her cheeks back. She let out  
a small gasp when the flesh beneath her hands moved with her, staying the same when she retracted her touch.

"You..." She started before snapping her mouth shut, Quinn let out a small smile. Her lips retracting to their normal appearance, Santana  
returned it after a moment, almost hesitantly.

"What else can you change?" She asked, feigning ignorance. Knowing that at the very least Quinn could mimic someone else's appearance  
completely like she had with Brittany.

"Everything." Quinn breathed, still worried to scare the other girl off.

Santana chewed on her bottom lip, her eyes moving down the robes that covered the majority of Quinn's body. "Everything?" She echoed, her  
voice still holding a hint of shyness to it.

Quinn's heart pounded in her ears, nodding as Santana raised her hands over her chest.

Tan hands hovered over the fabric of her robes, almost touching.

Quinn's chest expanded as far as her bra would allow, she smirked at the way Santana's eyes widened. Relief swept through her as  
Santana remained intrigued rather than twisting her face into a look of disgust as she had been expecting.

Santana's hands moved lower, digging in to try and feel the contours of her stomach through her clothing.

"Even, _this_?" She asked, her voice barely a whisper. The low husky quality would have stolen Quinn's breath away if Santana's hand cupping  
her through her skirt hadn't done so already.

She nodded dumbly, unable to form a coherent reply. Her cheeks flushed when Santana licked her lips, retracting her hand to slowly begin to  
remove her robes.

Its not that she hadn't thought about it before, even the possibility of taking the form of a man to woo prospective girls.

She had never done it before though and was sure now that she had been specifically chosen for her abilities. Her stomach twisted painfully  
but she tried to push it down, ignore it so that it didn't ruin the moment. Santana had come to her because she _needed_ something different to take her mind off of what she used to have with Brittany.

Santana leaned in to capture Quinn's lips after tossing her robes somewhere behind her, she straddled the other girl. One of the long,  
pale legs trapped between her own. The pink haired girl moaned into her lips and gripped her waist when Santana moved against her, grinding  
down onto her thigh.

The brunette nipped her lip before pulling back, one eyebrow arched playfully above the other. Her eyes widened when Quinn's eyes met her  
own, the pink haired girl's eyes were half lidded and much darker than before. Quinn tugged her closer, forcing her to straddle both of her  
legs.

Santana's head fell back as pink lips moved over her neck, she let out a surprised squeak when Quinn's hips rolled up into her own. "W-wasn't  
expecting that." She gasped, still gawking down toward the bump in Quinn's skirt.

"Sorry..." Quinn said, lowering her eyes.

Santana grabbed her chin gently, tilting her head up until their eyes met. "I wanted this, Quinn." She said before kissing her again roughly and  
rolling her hips. She smirked against Quinn's lips when the pink haired girl shuddered, not used to the sensation.

Her body felt like it was on fire, she tightened her grip on the shorter girl before flipping their positions.

 

 

 

 

 

xxx

Quinn moaned as Santana tightened around her, her teeth nipping at the brunette's shoulder as the girl began to arch more sharply into her  
thrusts.

Knowing that Santana was close, Quinn decided it was safe to focus more intently on what was happening around her. She kissed the spot she had  
just bitten, moving up the girl's neck before kissing her roughly.

Santana's fingers threaded through her short hair, holding her close as they both tumbled over the edge.

Quinn panted, slumping against the smaller body beneath her before shifting to her side. Her head fell back as she tried to catch her  
breath, Santana hummed contentedly next to her and she couldn't help but smile.

"Thanks." Santana whispered, her voice still low and husky.

Quinn was about to respond but the look on the other girl's face when her eyes finally fluttered open left her speechless. There it was, the  
disgust and confusion.

Her brows furrowed as she tried to reign in her emotion enough to ask what was wrong, "What the fuck, Quinn?" Santana snarled, jumping up  
immediately to grab her clothing and get dressed.

"I-I don't..." Quinn stuttered, confusion clouding her features as she pushed herself up onto tingling arms. She tipped her head down slightly  
at the sight of blonde hair entering her line of view. "Shit." She swore under her breath, realizing with horror that she had reverted to  
her normal appearance after her orgasm.

"Santana, wait!" She cried, her image flickering a second as she tried to scramble to her feet to go after the other girl. Santana was already  
moving for the door, one arm in her robes.

"Don't." She warned, her voice dripping with disgust and anger.

Quinn sank back to the floor, a sob wracking her body as she wrapped her arms around herself tightly.

She knew it would come, it always did, eventually.

 

 

 

 

 

xxx

The rest of Holiday break crept by slowly for Quinn, she spent most of her time locked up in her empty dorm reading. Her brief sightings of  
Santana had left her feeling physically ill, the hatred that burned in the brunette's eyes every time they met her own threatened to bring her  
to her knees.

She wasn't entirely surprised when break was over and Santana and Brittany did not speak to each other. The blonde seemed sad at first,  
she asked Quinn why Santana was avoiding her but she had nothing to say.

Brittany recovered quickly, her attempts to hang out with Quinn become less frequent until finally all of her time was spent with Sam Evans.

Their relationship didn't last long and Brittany made her way through two more Hufflepuff Quidditch players in the next few months.

Quinn didn't mind being alone, she barely noticed the blonde was gone.

Santana sneered whenever she was near the pink haired girl and slipped in snide remarks in passing. Despite this, Quinn found herself missing  
Santana more and more. The hole in her chest grew wider with each biting word.

Without Brittany and Santana around, the other students fell back into the full time habit of teasing Quinn. Their words held less meaning than the  
brunette's but cut deep regardless.

This continued until one day when Quinn was cornered after class by two Slytherin boys, Karofsky and Puckerman. They pushed her roughly into  
the wall and pinned her there, snarling cruelly into her face.

A crowd had formed quickly, the onlookers watched as Quinn merely looked down at her feet.

Santana pushed her way through the crowd, pushing Puckerman away roughly. "Fuck of Noah." She spat before pushing her way right up to  
Dave's face.

Quinn blinked, looking up in surprise when she heard the all too familiar voice. Santana grabbed Quinn's arm and started to drag her  
away when Dave cut in front of them.

"Where do you think you're going, Lopez? We weren't done talking." He said, his voice dangerously low.

Santana narrowed her eyes, "Well, you are now. So back off asshole."

He moved to stop them again when they tried to move around him, Santana pulled out her wand and brandished it threateningly. "I said, back off."

He put up his hands, backing away slightly. "It's not worth it dude..." Noah mumbled somewhere behind him, Santana shoved her wand back into  
her robes before pulling them down the corridor.

Quinn kept her eyes trained to the floor as Santana led her through the castle, before she knew it they were coming to stop. She blinked in  
surprise when she realized they were standing in front of the tapestry on the seventh floor. Santana was facing away from her and silent, her  
hand still warm against Quinn's.

Quinn tugged on her arm slightly after a few minutes of silence, Santana hesitated a moment before turning around to pull the pink  
haired girl to her. She kissed her deeply, her hands framing Quinn's face and holding her in place. They stayed locked in each others arms for an indeterminate amount of time, each kiss an apology.

When they finally broke apart, Santana was sporting a Cheshire- like grin.

She pulled Quinn toward the door to the room of requirement, a familiar layout greeted them on the other side.

 

 

 

 

 

xxx

It became a routine for them, they met several days a week for a few months.

Quinn chewed her lip, leaning heavily against the cool stone wall as she waited for Santana. When she finally arrived, the brunette pinned  
her to the wall and kissed her roughly. She then smirked and grabbed Quinn by the tie before leading her toward the door.

Quinn allowed herself to be pushed back onto the pillows, her hands automatically moving to remove her robes. Her body reacted based off of  
memory, her excitement already more than obvious for the brunette to see.

The pink haired girl let out a small gasp when Santana straddled her suddenly and shook her head. "No."

Quinn's expression twisted to one of confusion, "W-what?"

Santana dropped her chin to her chest for a moment before raising her eyes almost shyly. "I want you... The _real_ you."

Quinn stared at her owlishly for a moment, Santana held the eye contact patiently. Her hands gently stroked Quinn's cheeks before her fingers  
moved to tangle in pink hair.

"Quinn." She said in the most gentle tone the other girl had ever heard her use, Quinn blinked.

She gave Santana a look of uncertainty but the look in the brunette's eyes had her heart aching pleasantly.

Her eyes fluttered shut as her hair grew to fall passed her shoulders, Santana ran her fingers through the blonde strands slowly.

She tugged on the other girl's hair gently, "Quinn, look at me."

Quinn obeyed, opening her glassy eyes slowly to meet those watching her. She felt self conscious of the nose that had always felt too big and the muscles that had gone from toned to too soft on her stomach and arms.

"You're beautiful." Santana breathed as she tucked some of Quinn's hair behind her ear.

Quinn struggled to breathe, her chest tightened and her pulse raced beneath her skin.

Santana closed the distance between them, kissing her slowly. It was more gentle than any of the others they had shared but it left Quinn  
breathless all the same.

xxx

This didn't wind up exactly as it was in my head but... It ended up a lot longer than I expected, hopefully the impact was still the same.

Forgive me for any errors you might see having to do with the HP part of the plot... Its been forever since I've seen the movies or read the books, I need to reread them.

If I do write a multi-chapter it will explore more of who Quinn's real parents were and why she is a Metamorphamagi. Also how she came to possess the Maurader's map and some other little details. Hope you liked it. :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This didn't wind up exactly as it was in my head but... It ended up a lot longer than I expected, hopefully the impact was still the same. 
> 
> Forgive me for any errors you might see having to do with the HP part of the plot... Its been forever since I've seen the movies or read the books, I need to reread them. 
> 
> If I do write a multi-chapter it will explore more of who Quinn's real parents were and why she is a Metamorphamagi. Also how she came to possess the Maurader's map and some other little details. Hope you liked it. :)


	2. Six Years

Pokémon AU, with a some small twists of my own to the Pokémon world.

 **Summary** : Santana always wanted to be the strongest trainer and she's finally set out to prove that she is. Six years is a lot of lost time but they always did work better _together_.

 **Rating** : T

 **Genre** : Adventure / Friendship / Romance

 **Pairings** : Quinntana / Unholy Trinity Friendship

 **Region** : Johto

* * *

Professor Elm looked up from his computer as the sound of shuffling feet came from behind him, he waved off his assistant and turned to give his guests a wide smile.

"Hello girls, thank you for coming by."

He hit a few more keys on his computer before rising from his seat, "As you all well know... I have _tons_ of research projects going... One of which, is a study on how traveling with a Pokémon can affect how close they get to a trainer."

The girls shifted on their feet, eyes glancing around the lab at the beeping monitors and other equipment.

The man cleared his throat again and gave a small chuckle. "Anyway... The point of the study is to see if it would affect the Pokémon if they were in their balls or if you were traveling with them by your side."

The shortest of the three put her hands on her hips, "And? What's your point?"

A taller brunette elbowed her in the ribs, she glared between the Professor and her friend.

"I would like to offer the three of you your own Pokémon so that you can assist me in my research." Elm responded, smiling wider as he noticed the excitement following the recognition of what he had just said.

"Wait, to keep?!" The shorter brunette squeaked, her dark eyes wide in shocked excitement.

"Yes, to keep, Santana." The Professor confirmed, extending his hand toward the table off to his left. There were three Poké Balls set out, a small elemental emblem embellished on each.

Santana immediately rushed over, followed by her blonde friend, Brittany.

"I want this one!" The smaller girl said, snatching up the Poké Ball with the flame design just above the release trigger on the ball.

The blonde stuck her tongue out, debating between the two remaining Poké Balls. "I'll take this one! Here Lucy, this is yours!"

The third girl, Lucy, stopped in her tracks. Her hazel eyes darting down toward the Poké Ball the blonde was holding out to her. She frowned at the small leaf emblem but accepted it anyway. "Thank you, Brittany..." She said softly, knowing that it was the choice her father would have wanted her to make anyway.

The taller girl nodded and hugged her own Poké Balls to her chest, "I can't wait, this is going to be so much fun you guys!"

Elm gave a full and throaty laugh, "I'm glad you're so excited! Why don't you let them out and meet them?" He asked, watching as the girls did as he suggested.

A quick flash of light shot from the balls as their triggers were tripped, two of the three starter Pokémon forming at the end of the of the streams of light.

"They're so cute!" Brittany squealed, bouncing on the balls of her feet before picking up her Pokémon. "Hi there, I'm your trainer!" She said, nuzzling against the Totodile affectionately.

The small reptile stiffened at first but finally gave into her tight grip and affectionate behavior. She giggled happily when it nuzzled her back, "I think I'm gonna call you Bubbles!"

Santana rolled her eyes and knelt down next to her Cyndaquil, "Hey there, we're going to kick some ass when we're old enough, aren't we?" She said, smirking as she scooped the small black and tan Pokémon into her arms. Its flames weren't burning on its back so she didn't have to be quite as careful while handling it.

Santana smiled at the Pokémon in her arms before glancing toward the other brunette, "Hey Lucy, why don't you let yours out?" She asked, quirking a brow.

The girl blinked, looking up from the ball in her hands. She shrugged, sending out her Pokémon before staring at it listlessly.

The small, green Pokémon stared up at her. The leaf on its head bobbing up and down as it bounced excitedly, Brittany cooed off to her right.

"Aww! Its so cute! What are you going to call it?" The blonde asked, leaning in closer to the other girl.

Lucy shook her head, "Nothing."

"Huh? That's not a good name, come on! I'll help you think of something-"

"No, I mean... I'm not giving it a nickname. Maybe I will when its older and has evolved..." The girl said quietly, staring down at the wide red eyes watching her.

"What's wrong?" Santana asked, stepping closer to the other brunette. "You aren't acting like you given a Pokémon, its like you were _forced_ or something."

The girl scuffed her feet on the tiled floor, "This is the Pokémon dad would have picked for me... I just, I don't know... I don't want a grass Pokémon."

Santana scrunched up her nose, ignoring the small sound of disappointment from Brittany. "What? Come on, all Fabray's raise grass types. Your family crest is a Venasaur for crying out loud."

Lucy looked up, meeting the darker eyes sheepishly. "I don't want to..."

Elm frowned and watched the exchange in silence, her father had indeed hoped that Lucy would pick Chikorita. And currently he had no other Pokémon in his lab to offer the child.

Lucy shook her head, shooting a glance over her shoulder toward her Pokémon as she turned to leave. "Come."

The Chikorita didn't hesitate to follow at her command, bouncing happily at her ankles.

"Wait!" Santana called, catching up to the heavier girl. "Want to battle? I mean... We just got these guys, we might as well see what they can do."

Lucy glanced nervously toward Elm who frowned but nodded. "If you'd like to you can, your Pokémon don't have too powerful of moves yet." He said with a nod.

The taller brunette's teeth worried her lip but she finally nodded, "Okay. If that's what you want, Santana."

"Yes!" The girl said excitedly, placing her Cyndaquil back on the floor. She had known that Brittany would adamantly refuse, the blonde hated violence. Lucy on the other hand was easy to convince and manipulate.

"Alright, let's do this!" Santana said, "Scratch!"

Lucy flinched as the fire Pokémon landed a solid blow to her grass type, the Chikorita crying out in pain.

"Lu, you've got to tell it to respond or it won't!" Brittany cried out, her blue eyes worried over the well being of both Pokémon. Although she didn't like battling, she didn't want Lucy's sweet Chikorita being injured more than it needed to because it's trainer wasn't giving it a fair chance.

"Uhm, t-tackle!" Lucy said, her Pokémon rushing forward to complete the attack. It landed a blow but the attack was about as powerful as its trainer's voice had been giving the command.

Santana smirked, knowing that if it kept on like this she would easily win her first battle.

And win she did, after several minutes of the two trainer's volleying back shouts of Scratch and Tackle.

Lucy knelt down next to her unconscious Chikorita, her eyes glassy. "I'm sorry..." She whispered, cradling the small creature's body to her own.

"Bring your Pokémon over here, girls." Professor Elm said kindly, "Place them in these slots and the machine will heal them, its a smaller version of what is used in the Pokémon Centers throughout Johto."

The girl's obeyed quickly, Santana gloating as she did.

Elm narrowed his eyes at the child, "Santana, winners are supposed to be kind and humble... Not put down their competition."

She frowned but nodded, "Yes sir."

After their Pokémon were healed, Elm watched sadly as Quinn fled the lab. The other two, lingered a little longer. Giggling softly as they inspected their new companions.

 

 

 

xxx

"Hey Lu, where are you going?" Santana asked, sitting up in her lounge chair when she saw her friend emerging from her small home.

Brittany was off with her family for the day and Santana had been intending on just lounging around out in the sun to get her tan on but if Lucy was free her plans had room to change.

The taller brunette chewed on her lip before making her way over to the low fence that divided their yards. "Daddy is coming home, he's taking me to see the ruins!"

"Wait, you get to go to the ruins of Alph?! Damn... Lucky. I heard there are rare Pokémon hidden in there!" Santana said, frowning deeply as jealousy began to bubble in her stomach.

"That's just a legend." Lucy said with a sniff, pushing her glasses up higher on her nose. "The ruins are empty, no Pokémon go in there. But there are plenty of statues and runes. There are even stone puzzles from thousands of years ago."

Santana scrunched up her nose and laid back down, "Ehh... Never mind then, that sounds totally lame. Make sure to look around the grass around the ruins though, I bet there are different Pokémon there than there are here."

Lucy glanced down, fingers picking at the loose paint on the fence before her. "But San, we can't catch Pokémon yet... We're not allowed."

The shorter girl glanced over her sunglasses, "Your dad can. He gives you whatever he wants, right? Just tell him you want a new Pokémon, you didn't _want_ your Chikorita anyway. I'll take her."

Lucy huffed, folding her arms over her chest. "I do too want her, she just wouldn't have been my _first_ pick."

Santana's eyebrows darted up on her forehead, shocked by the other girl's tone. "Okay, jeez. I was just saying."

Lucy nodded after a moment before leaning over the fence slightly to try to catch a glimpse of Santana's Cyndaquil. The tiny fire Pokémon was curled up in a ball, laying in the shade underneath his trainer's chair.

"Come say hi to Lucy." Santana said, poking the little ball to rouse him. The Pokémon let out a small squeak as it stretched before jumping onto her lap.

"How's he been? Mine always wants to play." Lucy said, smiling as the Cyndaquil curled up in his owners lap to go back to sleep.

"This is pretty much the usual, lazy bastard." Santana glanced back toward her friend, quirking a brow at the frown she found waiting for her. "What?"

"You swear too much."

"I'm ten, you're eleven. You swear too little." The darker girl huffed, crossing her arms behind her head.

"Daddy would never-"

"Daddy this, Daddy that... No wonder you feel like you never get to make your own decisions, you let everyone make them for you." Santana said, rolling her eyes behind her sunglasses.

Lucy's frown deepened but she turned as she heard a loud flapping noise, "Daddy!"

Santana sat up slightly again, her body propped up by her forearms. She watched as Russell Fabray landed on the back of his Tropius.

The man's work had him traveling between regions, giving him access to many different types of Pokémon. Some of which were not inhabitants of the Johto region.

"Hello Lucy, I'll be out in a moment. I just need to say hello to your mother." Russell said, ruffling his daughter's hair before disappearing inside.

Santana made her way over to the Fabray's yard quickly, eager to meet the exotic Pokémon.

"Woah, it's so tall." She gasped as she got closer to it, the Tropius bent down its neck to sniff at her. Eying its master's daughter for any signs that the newcomer was not a friend.

She patted the Pokémon, smiling broadly as Chikorita rubbed against Santana's leg.

"This is one of my favorites of Daddy's Pokémon, he's a gentle giant."

"Well, I can see the giant part... Can I touch him?" The shorter girl asked, eyes wide.

Lucy nodded, "He likes his neck scratched, like this."

Santana mimicked Lucy's movements, smiling as the Pokémon let out a pleased groan.

"Hello, Santana."

The girls turned as Russell approached them, his lips drawn into a tight line. Out of the friends his daughter liked to hang out with, Santana was his least favorite.

"Hello, Mr Fabray. I just had to come over and see your Pokémon, I've never seen anything like him before." She said, flashing the man a nervous grin.

"That's alright. Tropius is a good, strong Pokémon. It doesn't evolve but its ability to fly as a grass type is definitely an advantage. You should make it a point to catch one if you ever happen upon one in the wild." He said, stopping beside his daughter.

"Oh... I doubt I'll ever see one, sir. They aren't from this region, are they?" She asked, locking her hands behind her back.

"Correct, they're from the Hoenn region. I'm sure you'll make it out there one day. You are planning on becoming a trainer, aren't you?" He asked, watching as she puffed out her small chest at the question.

"Yes sir, I am going to give your other daughter a run for her money!" She said excitedly, the man chuckled.

"You can try. Lucy hasn't told you the news, has she?" He said, looking down toward his now fidgeting younger daughter.

"No, what?" Santana asked, looking between the two Fabrays.

"Frannie just became a new member of the Elite Four, one of the old members is retiring."

"What?!" Santana gaped, "Who?"

"Koga, his daughter was supposed to fill in for him but he's decided that her training is not complete. She may take Frannie's place if her trial period doesn't go over well, its not final yet." Russell said, squeezing Lucy's shoulder.

"Oh... Wow. Congratulations, that's amazing." The girl said, shock coloring her features.

"I hate to cut this conversation short... But Lucy and I have to be off, it was nice seeing you, Santana."

"You too, Mr. Fabray. I hope you two have a good day!" The shorter brunette said as she backed toward her own yard. She moved back to her chair, settling in before watching Tropius take off back into the sky. Lucy tucked safely in her father's arms as they flew over New Bark Town.

 

 

 

xxx

"Santana!"

The small brunette let out a loud groan, burying deeper into her pillow.

"You're all red."

"Huh?"

"You're burnt, you must have fallen asleep while you were tanning..."

"Uhn... Shit, you're right." Santana grumbled, hissing as she sat up in the lounge chair. "What time is it?"

"Almost nine o'clock, your mom is going to kill you." Lucy said, chewing the inside of her cheek.

"And why does that make you grin?" The darker girl asked, blinking sleepily.

"Oh, it doesn't." She said, grinning wider as she fished something out of her side bag. " _This_ does."

Santana's eyes widened slightly as she slipped off her sunglasses, "You're shitting me, you actually got a second Pokémon? Already? Lucky bitch!"

"Shh! My Daddy said I had to keep it quiet... We aren't actually supposed to be training until we're sixteen!"

"Pfft. They only have that in place so people don't drop out of school, those classes are pointless unless you're going into some spiffy business anyway... What did you get, let me see!" The shorter girl said, jumping to her feet excitedly.

Chikorita moved out from behind Lucy to greet her and Santana quickly scooped the grass Pokémon up in her arms.

Lucy sent out her second Pokémon and Santana let out a small squeal of excitement. "Is that a Mareep?! Holy shit!"

She knelt down next to the little sheep, "Hi there, cutie."

The Pokémon eyed her warily before moving passed her and toward its owner.

"Sorry, she's a bit shy..." Lucy said, bending down to pick the Mareep up.

"I can see that. Well congrats, you now have a big advantage for the first Pokémon gym."

Lucy remained silent, once again chewing on the inside of her cheek. "Wait, you _are_ taking the gym challenges, right?"

The taller girl sighed, "I guess... It will just be hard to fill Frannie's shoes."

Santana snorted, "Why fill her shoes? You have your own to kick ass with. Come on, you can come with me and Britts. Brittany won't battle, I need someone to back me up when I go take on the gym leaders."

Lucy held Mareep closer, her teeth worrying her lip.

"Please, Lu?"

The girl sighed, giving a small nod before looking up. "Okay." She said, smiling weakly. "Now you get inside and get some Aloe on... Your mom can't see you like this." She said, glancing up toward the night sky.

Santana nodded and ran a hand through her unkempt hair, "Yeah, she will be home soon... Thanks for waking me, I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Maybe, my Daddy is still in town tomorrow... We might be hanging out as a family."

"Oh, okay. Well, if not. You know where to find me." Santana offered with a shrug, "Come on Cyndaquil. Lets go get cleaned up!"

The small Pokémon blew out a ball of smoke before moving away from where it had been sniffing and playing with Chikorita.

 

 

 

xxx

"Hey San, what are you looking at?" Brittany asked, flopping down on the couch next to the brunette.

"They've been out there since this morning..." Santana mumbled, her chin leaning on her arms as she looked out the window.

"Oh." Brittany said, sitting behind the shorter girl and craning her neck to get a better view. "Well, her dad isn't home much. She probably missed him- Is that a new Pokémon?!"

"Yeah, he caught it for her yesterday while they were at the ruins."

"Oh, that's so cool!" Brittany chirped, tugging a pillow to her chest excitedly. Her Totodile let out a deep grunt of disapproval at the loud sound. Blinking grumpily at his trainer before tucking his head back under his tail.

The two girls watched with rapt attention as Lucy practice battled her father with her new Pokémon, "I wish I had someone to train against." Santana whined, Brittany nodded.

"Why are our parents always so busy?"

"Or better yet, why can't they trust us to get our Junior Trainer licenses."

Brittany puffed up her cheeks before releasing the breath, "Mom says I can't go anywhere until I graduate. Didn't your mom say the same?"

Santana rolled her eyes, "Yeah, mami thinks I'm gonna be some hot shot business woman like her. I keep telling her it isn't going to happen but you know how well she listens..."

Brittany's lips tugged into a grin, "As well as you?"

"Shut up, blondie." Santana said, smacking the blonde with a pillow. The taller girl giggled and hit her back, causing an all out pillow fight. Cyndaquil and Totodile looked up sleepily from their spots on the floor, confused by their trainers antics.

 

 

 

xxx _Two Weeks Later_ xxx

"Hey Professor, you called?"

"Ah, yes. Hello girls, thank you for stopping by." Professor Elm said, adjusting his glasses as he turned to address them. "I have something here for you."

"Another present?" Brittany asked excitedly, her Totodile chirping at her feet.

"Yes but first... Let me see how your Pokémon are doing." He said, getting up so that he could approach them.

Santana chewed on her lip, her eyes periodically flitting to the door as she waited for Lucy to make an appearance.

"Your Pokémon both seem to be doing well and bonding to you quickly. Are you training them at all?"

Santana blinked, "No, not really... We're not supposed to train with each other unless we have supervision and our parents don't really battle or anything."

"I see. Well, a colleague of mine asked if I had anyone who could help him. You girls were the first ones to come to mind." He said, digging a medium sized box out from under a stack of paperwork and files.

Brittany stood on her tippy toes in an attempt to catch a glimpse of what was in the box before the man pulled it out.

He finally turned, one red rectangular object clutched in each hand. "I'm sure you've heard about Professor Oak in your classes, maybe you've heard something about his famous Pokédex?" He asked, his lips quirking upward at the excited squeals from the two girls.

"He wants _us_ to use his Pokédex? I've heard they're super expensive..." Brittany said, her eyes wide.

"Yes, they are. These are newer models, offering more options than the previous versions. Given your space to roam is limited, there will be a lock placed on them for now. If the trial run goes over well, perhaps I can tinker around with it to get it unlocked." He said with a wink as he handed the girl's their Pokédexes.

"Woah, thank you so much, sir." Santana said, flipping open the device and powering it up.

Elm nodded, "Point it at your Pokémon to get started, to catalog it as a captured Pokémon... You will need to scan the trigger on its Poké Ball and eventually program your Trainer I.D. in. For now..." He said, digging around on his desk again until he found what it is he was looking for. "You will use these temporary I.D's, they will grant you full range of motion between here and Cherry Grove City... Until you're sixteen and you can get your full Trainer I.D." He said with a wink, the girls gaped at him.

"Seriously?" Santana asked, snatching the card from him to inspect it closely.

"Yes, seriously. There aren't normally any trainers that hang out on route 29 but if you run into any, show them those I.D's and they should leave you alone. The wild Pokémon out there shouldn't be too much of a problem but you can also train your own for now. Without having to battle each other." He said with a smile, the three looked up when someone cleared their throat.

"Ah, hello Russell. Its good to see you!" Professor Elm said, stepping passed the girl's to shake the other man's hand. "You said over the phone that you had something for me?" He asked, plucking his glasses off of his nose to clean them.

The older man nodded and dug a large container out of his pack, "I do. Mr. Pokémon says hello." He said, handing the container to the now wide eyed Professor.

"Is this the egg he was talking about? Its definitely a new look, I don't think I've ever seen one like it... That man and his eggs... Where did he find this one?"

"I believe he said the person that brought it to him found it in Ecruteak City but I could be wrong, you'll have to ask him." Russell said, Elm nodded.

"I see, well, thank you for bringing it to me. I have some things here for Lucy in return for the favor!"

Santana perked up at the mentioning of the other girl, "Where is Lucy, anyway?" She asked, side eying Russell.

The man looked at her for a moment before sighing, "I'm sorry girls. Lucy is coming with her mother and I to live in Goldenrod City. I am living there full time for work now and want my family with me." He said, flashing them a sympathetic look before smiling as he accepted the I.D and Pokédex from Elm. "Thank you, I'm sure she will appreciate them greatly. Goodbye girls, I will let Lucy know I saw you."

Santana gaped after him, still struggling to process the information.

 

 

 

xxx

"How could she just _leave_ without saying goodbye!" Santana spat, stalking back and forth outside of Elm's lab.

Brittany frowned and kissed Totodile's head before setting him down on the ground, "I don't know... Maybe she didn't have a choice?" The blonde asked, moving toward the shorter girl.

"Right. Because Lucy never has a choice, more like she never speaks up. I bet she didn't even argue with him. She probably _wants_ to go, so she can be all stuck up and snobby like the rest of her family. I heard Goldenrod is huge, with tons of shops and big prestigious schools." The brunette said bitterly, rolling her eyes.

"Santana... You know she isn't like that."

"Really, do I? Its how the rest of her family is, isn't it? Her sister was totally well prepped for the Gym challenge by the time she was sixteen, its no wonder she's taking over for Koga on the Elite Four."

"What?"

"Yeah, they just found out... Probably want to start grooming little Lucy too... Lucky bitch."

"Santana... She wouldn't abandon us unless she had to... She was our friend."

"Yeah, well... Things change Britt, people change. If she was upset about it, she would have come and said goodbye instead of just _leaving_. Friends don't do that to each other."

Brittany watched sadly as the brunette ran towards her home, Cyndaquil hot on her heels.

 

 

 

xxx _Six Years Later_ xxx

"Ugh... Can't we just go to the gym Brittany? I've been waiting _years_ for this!" Santana whined, picking at her fries.

The blonde shook her head, chewing her mouthful of Tauros burger.

"Nope! First we are looking around, what is the point in traveling if all you're going to do is battle?" The other girl asked, rinsing her mouth out with a gulp of her fountain drink.

Santana blinked, "You know... With as much as you hate violence, I'm surprised you eat meat."

Brittany waggled her finger, "It shouldn't be _that_ surprising, the Tauros are raised for this. And they use all of their parts for different things... Meat, Poké kibble, glue, buttons, leather..."

"Okay, I get it, I get it! But what about Pokémon that are bred and raised to battle? Some of them enjoy it, its a good way to channel their energy and feral instincts."

Brittany popped a fry into her mouth and chewed thoughtfully. "I guess that's a good point but not all of them like it... I don't like the idea of Pokémon being forced to fight for their trainer's entertainment." The blonde said with a frown, Santana sighed.

"Well, you agree my Pokémon like to battle, right? Like, it doesn't bother you that this is what I want to do, does it?" The brunette asked, pushing a fry around nervously on her plate.

"Yes, I agree. And it doesn't bother me, you love your Pokémon and treat them right. Not everyone does that, San."

Santana looked up and flashed the girl a relieved smile, "I know, and I'll make sure to put a stop to anyone I meet who treats theirs poorly." She promised, reaching across the table to squeeze her friends hand.

"We can go to the gym..." Brittany started, making Santana perk up in her seat. "After we take a look around Sprout Tower, okay?"

The brunette deflated visibly and sighed, "Okay, fine." She said, once again picking up her own burger so that they could finish their meal.

 

 

 

xxx

"Finally, I can't wait to gets my battle on." Santana said, grinning as she and Brittany made their way toward the Violet City gym.

"Sprout Tower was totally lame by the way, nothing but old men and Bellsprouts." The brunette muttered with a shiver, Brittany laughed.

"Yeah but it was good training for you two." She said, her eyes moving between Santana and her Quilava. The Pokemon made a low sound of agreement and moved closer to his trainer.

"That's true." Santana said, her muscles twitching in excitement as the door to the gym loomed closer.

"So who's the boss here again?"

"The _Gym Leader_ is Artie Abrams, some nerdy kid in a wheel chair... Says his Pokémon give him wings or something like that. Sounds like a bad Red Bull commercial if you ask me..."

"You don't sound too worried." The blonde said, amusement coloring her tone.

"He's a bird Pokémon type of guy, I've got fire, rock and flying so far. What's to be worried about?" Santana asked, grinning as she held the door open for the taller girl.

They blinked and looked around the seemingly empty and small room, it was graced with a large circular design on the floor and a desk against the far wall. A fair haired brunette smiled at them broadly, "Hello, are you here to watch or challenge the Gym Leader?" She asked, her voice high and a little on the nasally side.

"Here to challenge the Gym Leader," Santana said, moving right up to the desk and leaning on it casually. "She's here to watch me win."

"I see, well, good luck. Please write your name here and then stand on the platform. You will exit when you get up to the second floor-" She said, looking pointedly at Santana. "And you will exit on the third floor, miss." She said, flashing Brittany a wide smile.

"Thank you!" The two girls said, making their way to the circular marking. Brittany squeaked and clutched her Totodile closer as the platform began to lift, Santana merely chuckled affectionately.

She bid Brittany a quick farewell and stepped out onto the second floor when the lift temporarily came to a stop. She could hear people cheering from the third floor where a row of stands were set up. The paper she had signed had also needed to know how many Pokémon she had for the battle and their respective levels.

The Gym Battles might have been new but the concept itself was not. The gyms had several lackey trainers that the prospective challengers had to face off against first. Once they cleared these trainers, they had the opportunity to fight against the Gym Leaders themselves.

The gym had various levels of their distinct types of Pokemon available so that different "ranks" of trainers could challenge them at all times with Pokemon of all levels.

She moved closer to the small crowd lining the outside of the ring, knowing that these were all people still waiting for their chances to battle. Most of them looked weak, barely something she would bat an eye over.

She watched the current battle with little to no interest, hoping some of the other fights would be able to hold her attention until she had her chance.

The first two trainers since she had made her way up to the second floor barely made their way through the Lackeys. Their teams were now badly injured and would require the use of a potion or revive to stand any chance against Artie.

 _'Novices, I can't wait to show all of you up...'_ She thought, smirking as her excitement once again sent her heart racing.

She stood straighter, trying to catch a glimpse of the next person to battle.

"Quinn Fabray." A loud voice boomed over the loudspeaker.

Santana narrowed her eyes, "Fabray?"

She rolled up onto the balls of her feet, trying to get a better look. A flash of blonde and a slim figure was all she got as the woman made her way up the steps to her half of the  arena.

Growing frustrated by her poor visibility she shouldered her way closer to the front, until she was stopped by a railing of sorts.

"Ma'am, you're going to need to return your Pokémon to its ball."

She shot a glare toward one of the staff but did as she was told, Quilava let a low growl of disapproval escape before she managed to get him inside his ball.

"Thank you." The security guard said, she waved him off before moving her eyes back to where the battle was about to start.

The first Gym Lackey sent out a Spearow and in return, the mysterious Quinn sent out a Vulpix.

"Of course, you would have one of those." Santana mumbled, whipping out her Pokedex. Before she and Brittany had left New Bark Town, Professor Elm had unlocked their devices so that they could record more Pokémon than before. Telling them to get info on as many as possible to help out Professor Oak. The blonde had also been gifted the egg that Mr. Pokémon had given to Elm, it had been offered to Santana but she hadn't wanted to bother with a baby Pokémon.

She loaded the Vulpix's info, looking up just in time to see the small fox Pokémon shoot a flame from its mouth. The fire licked hungrily at the Spearow's wings, successfully keeping it from going airborne.

Santana scrunched up her brow in confusion, the image on her Pokédex wasn't the same as the Pokémon out in the battle. The normally reddish orange Pokémon was golden in color and occasionally let off what appeared to be a flash of sparkles.

"Woah, she has a shiny Vulpix." Someone cried out off to her left, Santana blinked. She had heard the term before but she had never seen one of the rare Pokémon in person.

The battle was over by the time she looked back, the first Lackey stepping down so that the second could make his way up to his spot.

Santana watched Quinn closely, waiting to see if she would withdraw her Vulpix. The blonde surprised the onlooking trainers by not swapping the tiny Pokémon out, trusting it against whatever her opponent had to throw at her.

The fire Pokémon easily made its way through the second trainer's Pidgeys, taking them down without sustaining much damage.

Santana watched the blonde exit down the steps on the other side of the raised platform she had been standing on, she would need to watch out for this girl. She could feel it already.

 

 

 

xxx

Santana had watched three other trainers try their hand at taking down the gym's Lackeys before she got her shot. She easily made her way through, crushing the competition with her loyal Geodude.

Only three of them had made it to the chance to battle Artie, two of the others that made it through hadn't brought items and left rather than embarrassing themselves further.

Santana side eyed Quinn as they waited for the first battle to begin, "So you're a Fabray, huh?"

The girl's eyes darted to meet her own, they were cold and sharp. A bright hazel, much like she expected. The Fabray's had a very specific shade of hazel, it was a light brown, almost amber at times. Flecks of green and grey swimming amidst the other shades.

"Yes and your point?" The girl bit back, her voice low and raspy.

"I knew a Fabray once."

A slender brow arching high on the girl's forehead was the only response, Santana would have said more but the battle had started. Both girls turned their attention back to the arena, eyes moving toward Artie.

He was a small, scrawny boy. Wheelchair bound and thick rimmed glasses shining over his calculating eyes.

The first trainer to challenge him didn't stand a chance, his Pokémon had been weakened before and the type he had used had left him at a disadvantage.

Quinn shook her head before stepping forward when called, Santana watched as the blonde easily decimated Artie's Pidgey.

The blonde had finally chosen to use a Pokémon other than Vulpix when Artie sent out his Pidgeotto. Santana whipped out her Pokédex, recording Pidgeotto's data before staring wide eyed at Quinn's next Pokémon.

The Bayleef pawed at the ground excitedly, waiting for its trainer's command.

"It couldn't be-" Santana gasped, looking between the Pokémon and its trainer as her Pokédex recorded the data.

The Pidgeotto lurched forward suddenly at Artie's command, landing a strong blow with a Quick Attack.

Quinn narrowed her eyes, "Poison Powder."

The Pidgeotto cried out in pain as it was engulfed in a thick, purple powder. The acidic spores clung to its feathers, eyes and lungs causing immediate damage.

Artie swore under his breath, ordering his Pokémon to use gust. Quinn smirked, withdrawing her Bayleef instantly after the attack landed.

"Go, Meowth!" The girl cried, grinning as Artie swore more at the new development.

The Gym Leader ordered a Quick Attack, which landed but was not a direct hit. Quinn's Meowth retaliated with a Bite that was. The poison quickly finished off Artie's second Pokémon.

He shook his head, sending out his second Pidgey. Quinn and her Meowth made quick work of the boy's third Pokémon, making her the first victorious challenger of the day.

Santana arched a brow, impressed. She hadn't forgotten about her discovery though, the performance wasn't _that_ impressive.

The brunette stepped forward as her name was called, making her way up the steps and onto her platform. She sent out her Geodude, not wanting to prolong the battle any longer than it needed to be.

Artie rolled his eyes, "Really? You bring a rock type into my gym?" He asked, his tone exasperated.

She shrugged, "There's nothing in the rules against it, just means I'm smarter than everyone else." She said, grinning as he sent out a Spearow.

She destroyed his first Pokémon easily with Rock Throw, the type advantage giving her the edge. He slammed his hand down angrily against the arm rest of his wheel chair before sending out another Spearow.

She defeated it just as easily as the first, deciding to withdraw her Pokémon and make it a little fair for the third match up.

Artie grinned, sending out his newly evolved Fearow.

"Shit..." Santana said, eying up the large bird Pokémon before sending out her Quilava. "Fuck it, you got this." She said, smirking as the two Pokémon stared each other down.

Santana managed to squeeze a direct hit in with a Quick Attack before Artie could even belt out his command. Quilava braced himself as the powerful bird's beak slammed against him repeatedly when the Pokémon followed up with a Fury Attack.

Santana hissed, knowing that with it's size and sharp beak the bird could do some serious damage if she continued to let it fly around the arena. "Ember!" She cried, hoping that Quilava would be quick enough to land a good hit.

She grinned, pumping her fist as the flames licked hungrily at the Fearow's feathers. Burning the large creature in the process. The battle was easier to win from there on out, the burns and damaged feathers slowing the higher level Pokémon down considerably.

Artie sighed and the two returned their Pokémon, "Come back out here, Quinn."

The blonde did as she was asked, approaching the two of them with a reserved expression.

"Congratulations, you've both defeated me and my bird Pokémon." He said as he made his way down the ramp toward them, "Here is your prize, the Zephyr Badge. Wear it with pride." He said, extending his hand to them. Two silver badges shining brightly, Santana grinned and snatched hers up first.

"Will do, Wheels. Nice doin' business with you. See ya 'round, _Lucy_." She sneered, before turning for the exit.

"What did you call me?" Quinn asked, her voice sharp. The blonde snatched up the badge, placing it quickly in a box before placing the box back in her bag.

"You heard me. Some plastic surgery, weight loss and a bad dye job can't hide the truth." Santana bit out, whirling around to face the taller girl.

"...How did you know?"

"Oh, come on! I would recognize your little _Chika_ anywhere, we're buddies. Besides, you always did want a Meowth and you _would_ catch a shiny Vulpix. You're a Fabray, lucky _and_ gifted."

Quinn remained silent, staring down at her feet.

"Whatever. It doesn't matter, you left before, I'm leaving now. So see ya, loser." Santana said, waving her off as she stalked toward the exit.

"Wait!"

"Why should I?" The brunette snapped, wishing the lift wasn't slowly making its way down from the third floor.

"Because, I didn't mean to leave before." The blonde said, truthfully. Her voice holding regret as she stepped up beside the shorter girl.

"Right. Of course not." Santana said, crossing her arms over her chest as Brittany's excited face came into view.

"I'm so happy, you were amazing out there San!" Brittany chirped, wrapping the brunette up into a tight embrace as soon as the lift stopped.

Quinn and Santana stepped onto the platform before it began moving again, the shorter blonde shifting nervously.

"You did a really good job too... Er, Quinn right?" Brittany said, flashing her a wide smile.

Quinn nodded but Santana cut in before she could reply, "No, it's _Lucy,_ Britt."

The taller girl blinked, "What?"

Quinn inhaled deeply before releasing the breath through her nose, "She's right, B... It's me, Lucy." The girl said guiltily, her old self rearing her head at the appearance of her two old friends.

She wanted to lie and keep up her façade but the old wounds were open and it wasn't their fault that she had been forced away. Forced to do her father's bidding and move to a new town where she knew no one.

Brittany stared between the two of them, expecting it to be some sort of trick. The girl standing before her looked nothing like the old Lucy, well, maybe her eyes were similar. But Lucy had been a shy brunette who was much heavier than Quinn. Thick glasses and a meek personality that would have never been able to compete the way the blonde just had.

Quinn shuffled forward nervously as the lift pulled to a stop on the first floor, "Are you guys staying at the Inn?" She asked, her teeth worrying her lip.

"Yes but we haven't booked a room yet. Is it nice there?" Brittany asked, trying to ease the tension between her friends.

Quinn nodded, "It is, if you want... I could upgrade to a two bedroom and we could share." She offered, raising her eyes to meet the blue ones watching her.

Brittany smiled, "I'd like that."

Santana rolled her eyes, "Leave it to a Fabray to try and _bribe_ us." She grumbled, fisting her hands into her pockets.

Quinn frowned, "I just want to apologize for what happened before... I didn't want to leave and I would like to catch up now, if you'd let me." She said, "Not to mention... My Meowth finds tons of little treasures for me to sell so I have a bit of extra cash at the moment... So its really not a burden at all."

"Oh, a little extra cash? What, _Daddy_ isn't funding your trip?" Santana sneered, her voice harsh.

"Santana, stop it." Brittany said, missing the hurt that flashed across Quinn's features. The weakness was brief, a stoic mask slipping in before the taller blonde could look back.

"No, he isn't. I haven't spoken to him in a year, Santana." The girl said seriously, her tone cold. "He kicked me out."

"What?" Santana asked, the malice slipping from her voice to be replaced by shock.

"I- There was an accident... Let's just say I disappointed him. I'm not the good little daughter he thought I was." She said bitterly, starting toward the Inn. Regret flashed across the brunette features before she and Brittany moved to follow the other girl.

 

 

 

xxx

Santana stared at the ceiling of their room, her nerves humming as she fought the urge to shift nervously. Brittany was showering in the bathroom nearby, leaving her alone with Quinn. The blonde was perched on the second bed, reading with her Vulpix curled into her side.

The brunette's eyes betrayed her, shifting over lazily to gaze at the other girl's profile. She had always though Lucy was cute, in a adorable way. In the past she had made it a daily goal to see how many times she could get the girl's face to light up in a goofy smile. She had managed to do it almost as much as she had managed to hurt her feelings with her brash comments. Regret twisted briefly at the memory of those moments, knowing that while she had been playing around... The other girl had taken what she said to heart.

The way Lucy was now, as Quinn. She was beautiful.

Her face had shrunken, molding into sharp lines instead of soft curvy cheeks. Her lips were full, pouty and a rosy pink. Her eyes were still the same cool hazel that Santana had almost lost herself in as a child. And her body, Santana didn't even want to think about that. Her mind again betrayed her and wandered in that direction despite her attempts to stop it.

Quinn's body was amazing and that was all she dared to let herself think before she shut her brain down to turn away from that topic.

"You could come with us, you know."

The words were out of her mouth before she knew what was happening, startling herself as well as the blonde.

"What?"

Santana gulped, knowing that the other girl had actually heard her. There was no taking it back now...

"I mean, if you're going to be hitting up all the gyms anyway... We'll be going the same way, you might as well tag along. Brittany still isn't into the whole 'battle scene' so we could take on the gyms together." She said, waving her arm as if it would help explain her train of thought.

Quinn chewed on her lip, on old habit of Lucy's that she had apparently never dropped. Before Santana had found it endearing, now she just found it sexy.

She gulped again, wishing the other girl would speak.

"Okay." She said, simply. Her hand rubbed down the length of her Vulpix's spine, making the small fire Pokémon stretch in her sleep.

Santana fought down the grin that threatened to spring to life on her lips at the response. The bathroom door opened suddenly, breaking the spell and ending the conversation before it could continue.

Santana sat up quickly, snatching up her night clothes before making her way toward the bathroom. Her stomach was twisting in pleased excitement, all over a simple 'okay.'


	3. With You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Slight AU, set in Season 3 between the aftermath of Quinn's accident and Promasaurus.
> 
> Rating: T
> 
> Part of Quinntana Week 2014, Day 2: Comfort / Fluff
> 
> Friendships: Kurtana and Qurt

Santana sighed and pulled the bathroom door open before ducking inside. The teacher had them reading quietly to themselves and the sound of the clock ticking and occasional turn of a page had been driving her mad.

She didn't even have to go to the bathroom, she just had to be somewhere else where her thoughts weren't the only thing to focus on.

The brunette looked in the mirror, humming to herself softly as she checked on her makeup. Once she was pleased that everything appeared to be in order, she turned for the door. But before she could exit, a small sound from the large handicap stall on the end caught her attention. She shook her head, ready to ignore it when some nagging feeling stopped her in her tracks.

Furrowing her brow, Santana ducked down slightly to get a better look at the mystery girl's shoes. Her eyes widened when she realized that they were actually in a wheelchair and not just using the furthest stall for privacy. There weren't many wheelchair bound students at McKinley.

"Quinn?"

At first a loud sniffling sound was her only response but after a second the door to the stall pushed open."Santana?"

"Hey, are you okay? Why were you crying?" Santana asked worriedly, leaning against the nearest sink as Quinn wheeled herself closer to one of the others.

"It's nothing... Don't worry about it."

"It doesn't look like nothing..." The brunette mumbled, crossing her arms over her chest.

Quinn shot her an unamused look before pulling out her compact to fix the make up that had smudged around her eyes. She resisted the urge to squirm under the weight of Santana's gaze and finally broke after several minutes of silence.

"It's my physical therapy..." Quinn said, almost too quietly for Santana to hear.

The brunette's eyebrows knit together, "What about it?"

Quinn sighed and put her things back in her bag. "It just... It doesn't feel like it's working."

Santana's frown deepened, "You've only been at it a few weeks, Q."

The blonde turned herself and her chair to face her friend, "I know."

"So, why not give it some more time, okay?"

"What if time doesn't change anything?" Quinn asked, pausing on her way to the door.

Santana took a few steps toward the other girl, "Wait... What do you mean?"

Quinn looked to her right and away from the eyes that were seeking hers out. "I-I don't know."

"That's bullshit, Quinn. Talk to me." Santana said, somewhere between begging and a demand. She knelt down next to Quinn and placed her hands on the handle of the blonde's wheelchair.

Quinn moved her teary eyes to meet the brown ones watching her. "It's just... I've been hanging out with Artie and he keeps looking at me like _this_  isn't temporary... Like my doctors are just being optimistic. What if he's right?"

Santana stared at her a second before lifting her hand to cover Quinn's with her own. "Hey, don't you dare let anyone tell you or make you feel like you can't do something, Q. You're amazing, okay? And... I'm sorry that I wasn't always there for you."

Quinn laughed, turning her head away slightly to wipe at her eyes. "Thanks... W-where'd this come from?"

One eyebrow arched above the other as she glanced back toward the brunette and caught her blushing. "I-uh... It's stupid."

Quinn smiled, "Tell me." She insisted, ducking her head to try and catch Santana's eye.

"It was the accident." Santana admitted, a little sheepishly. "I-I thought that I had lost my bestfriend."

Quinn's small smile fell as she realized how serious her friend really was. The two of them were quiet for a moment before the blonde spoke up. "Come here."

Santana blinked in surprise as she was tugged closer into a half hug and the brunette lowered her head to try and hide her deepening blush.

The bell rang and the two broke apart, Santana straightening up quickly. She pulled open the door before stepping to the side so that Quinn could leave first.

"See you at lunch, Q."

Quinn smiled back over her shoulder, "Yep! See you later."

xxx

"So, when's your next appointment?" Santana asked as she walked behind Quinn's chair in the lunch line.

"Tonight, why?" The blonde asked as she grabbed a tray to sit on her lap. Santana grabbed her own before helping to push her friend's wheelchair forward a few steps.

"Just wondering. Keep an open mind, okay?"

Quinn sighed but nodded, "Okay, I'll try."

Santana laughed and handed Quinn a plastic container containing her salad as well as an apple.

xxx

"So, how'd your appointment go?" Santana asked at lunch the next day.

Quinn rolled her eyes, "I don't know..."

"You don't know?" Santana asked, arching a brow.

"It's just... My therapist is so awkward and I just feel so... Distracted."

Santana wrinkled her nose, "Ew, like awkward how? Is he some kind of creep?"

Quinn scrunched up her own features, "Well, he's not that much older and he  _does_  seem awfully friendly... But he hasn't tried anything inappropriate."

Santana rolled her eyes, "That's reassuring..." She muttered, stabbing her salad rather violently with her fork.

The blonde laughed and took a bite of her own, completely missing the fact that Santana appeared to be lost in thought.

"I'm going with you."

"What?" Quinn asked, looking up from her food.

"I want to go with you, to your next appointment."

The blonde stared at the other girl for a quiet moment before nodding. "Okay."

xxx

"Ah, Quinn... Hello."

The blonde smiled and held the door for Santana as the brunette wheeled her into the therapist's office. "Hello, Joe."

"And who's this?" Joe asked, surprised to see someone other than Judy along with the teen for her appointment.

"Name's Santana, nice to meet you." The brunette said, forcing a smile for Quinn's sake.

The physical therapist returned the expression, jotting a few notes down before rising from his chair. "Will you be joining us for the session then?"

Santana nodded, "If that's okay?"

Joe smiled, "Of course. Let's get started then, shall we?"

xxx

Santana watched quietly as Joe excused himself to give Quinn a moment of privacy. Dark eyes flicked toward the frustrated girl nearby.

"Hey, Q, it's okay..."

"No, it's not! I'm supposed to be able to feel them by now!"

Santana frowned and placed her hand on Quinn's forearm. Her thumb stroked her friend's skin gently for a moment before she sighed.

"I'll be right back."

Quinn kept her head turned away, a single tear rolling down her cheek as the door shut with a click.

xxx

"How is she doing?" Joe asked, frowning as Santana emerged from the room attached to his small office.

"Not good." The girl said, rather bluntly.

Joe nodded, his frown deepening. "I'm afraid this is not uncommon... Quinn's doubts and frustrations are working against her, unfortunately."

Santana narrowed her eyes, "What do you mean?"

"I've seen progress with her... But in Quinn's mind, it isn't enough. She wants to walk, to have it reinforced that this condition she's in isn't permanent."

"So... It's  _her_  fault that she isn't getting better?"

"It is a sort of mental block... Her negative outlook on her recovery is keeping her from making progress."

Santana sighed, "And it's just something that she has to work out herself, we can't help her?"

Joe smiled, "Actually...  _You_  may be able to. Quinn was much more calm in this session than she has been in the past."

Santana's brow furrowed thoughtfully, "I do have  _some_  training, when it comes to therapy from or cheer squad."

"If you'd be willing, you could take my place on a few sessions... Utilize the available equipment and I'll be close if it doesn't seem to be working."

"I think I can handle that, thanks, Dreads."

xxx

Santana didn't get to help out that day but she and Joe did inform Quinn of their plans for the next few sessions.

The blonde seemed skeptical but also slightly relieved. And she was still feeling those emotions as Santana wheeled her into Joe's office at the next session.

He reminded Santana of the exercises and stretches as well as what order to do them in. Once he'd done that, he excused himself and left them on their own.

Quinn blushed, folding her arms and placing them behind her head.

"What's with that look, Q?" Santana asked stepping closer to where the blonde was laying.

"N-nothing..." Quinn mumbled, lowering her eyes.

Santana rolled her eyes, "I'm not going to feel you up or anything... If that's what you're worried about."

"N-no, that's not it." Quinn said instantly, her eyes raising to meet the brunette's.

"Alright..." Santana said, not sounding too convinced.

Quinn swallowed and watched as Santana put her hands in place to start the blonde's stretches.

She hadn't lied to Santana, she trusted her friend to be appropriate and respectful. It was herself that she was worried about.

Santana had always been beautiful but something had changed when she came out. Quinn couldn't help but see her friend differently after and it definitely hadn't been in a bad way.

Quinn had been confused about her feelings and it was more than obvious that Brittany and Santana cared deeply for one another. Having felt foolish and not wanting to come between her friends, Quinn kept quiet about her feelings.

Swallowing, the blonde raised her eyes again to watch Santana's look of concentration. "How are you and Brittany?"

Santana's eyes shot up before narrowing slightly. "Alright, you know how it is... Always off and on."

Quinn frowned, "How do you put yourself through that?"

The brunette shrugged, focusing more on what she was doing than the current topic of conversation.

"Are you going to prom?"

"Yeah, going stag. You?"

Quinn wanted to know exactly why Santana was going alone but didn't want to push the subject.

"Yeah... I guess, although I don't really see the  _point_."

Santana shot her a look, "The point? It's  _prom_ , you love shit like this."

"I used to..." Quinn corrected, glancing down toward her legs.

Santana rolled her eyes, "You need to stop doing that."

"Doing _what?"_

"Being so pessimistic. You're going to walk again, you're going to  _dance_  again. Hell, your pasty white ass is gonna be dancing at Prom, Fabray."

Quinn couldn't help but laugh before shaking her head. "You really think so?"

"I know so." The brunette said, matter-of-factly. "Now c'mon time to exercise these Thunder Thighs."

xxx

Santana joined Quinn on her next couple of appointments and the blonde became more confident with each session.

"Hey, how'd your appointment go last night?" Santana asked as she caught up to the wheelchair bound girl.

"Alright." Quinn said with a smile.

"Sorry I couldn't make it..." The brunette said, lowering her eyes to her feet.

Quinn glanced toward her, surprised. "It's okay, really. You only had to come to a few, Santana."

"Well, I'll be there for the next one."

"You don't have to..."

Santana slowed to a stop, "Do you not want me to go?"

"No, that's not it... It's just, Mom kind of wants to go to the next couple. To make sure she's getting her money's worth or whatever."

"Oh, alright." Santana said softly before starting to walk again. Quinn frowned and wheeled herself forward quickly to catch up to the other girl.

"Hey, would uh- Would you like to go to prom with me?"

Santana glanced back over her shoulder toward the blonde. "What, like as your date? I thought you weren't really that into that, Q."

"Uh, yeah... Sure. Mom wants to make sure that if I go... That someone is looking out for me. And, I figured that you said you were going stag so..."

"Sure. You know I've got your back. Now c'mon, let's get you to class before you're late." The brunette said with a smile before coming around so that she could push Quinn to class.

xxx

Prom was upon them before the McKinley high students knew it. And although Santana was disappointed that Quinn was still in her wheelchair, she was glad that the blonde seemed to be handling that fact well.

She had just arrived at the other girl's home moments before and was double checking her makeup and overall appearance in the mirror.

Santana frowned as her stomach twisted, she wasn't exactly sure why but she was feeling very nervous. Sighing, the brunette tried not to think about it. Instead she flipped up her visor before exiting her vehicle and made her way up the short walk from the driveway.

The girl hesitated, smoothing down her dress before raising her hand to knock.

It was quiet for a moment before Judy pulled the door open with a warm smile. "Hello, Santana. Don't you look lovely!"

"Thanks, Mrs. Fabray..."

"Now, now... I know it's been a while but please, call me Judy."

Santana nodded and stepped passed the older woman and into the foyer so that she could shut the door.

"Quinn will be out in a few minutes, she's just finishing up her makeup. Thank you, for going with her... It means a lot, to both of us."

Santana smiled, "It's no problem, if anything... Quinn's doing me a favor. I'd almost decided not to go."

Judy frowned, "Why's that, dear?"

"No date, seeing Brittany with someone else." Santana confessed, rather easily. It felt good to get it off of her chest and she didn't want to ruin Quinn's night with her melancholy.

Little did she know, the younger blonde had overheard the tail-end of their conversation. Quinn lingered in the hallway for a second, her teeth teasing her bottom lip before she finally wheeled herself down the rest of the way to the living room.

"Hello."

Santana looked up, surprised and her eyes widened when they fell on Quinn. The blonde looked gorgeous, her hair pinned up neatly on the back of her head in large curls. Her dress was purple with silver straps and jewelry.

The blonde blushed under her close scrutiny and Santana realized that she had been staring. "Hi, uh... Wow Fabray. You look amazing."

Quinn smiled and wheeled herself closer. "So do you."

Judy looked between the two of them, a large smile playing at her lips. "You two should probably get going, don't want you to be late."

The girls looked toward her before glancing toward the clock, "Yeah, you're right."

Santana got up first, smoothing down the front of her dress. "I'll go start the car."

Judy rose from the couch just as she was disappearing back outside and moved toward her daughter. "Relax, Quinnie. You'll be fine."

Quinn nodded and sighed as her Mother wheeled her toward the door, "Do you think she'll be surprised?"

Her Mother laughed, "Yes, honey. She will be."

Quinn nodded again but stayed quiet this time, a blush tinting her cheeks a shade darker as her Mother whispered in her ear. "You should go for it... You'll never know if you don't."

 _"Mom."_  Quinn warned as they moved from the walkway and onto the driveway. Her Mother sighed but chuckled just after.

"I know, I know... I'm sorry. I just want you to be happy."

The younger blonde turned her head slightly to look up at her Mother, "I know. Thank you."

Judy wheeled Quinn up to the passenger door and Santana came around to meet them, "I've got her."

The Mother watched with a smile as the brunette carefully helped Quinn from her chair and into the seat, making sure her dress was inside the door completely before shutting it. She then collapsed the wheelchair and popped it into the back before turning back to Judy.

"I'll have her home at a decent time and all that, whatever it is I'm supposed to say." She said, waving her hand with a smirk.

Judy nodded with a laugh, "I trust you. Have fun tonight, love you Quinnie."

Quinn nodded, mouthing the words back and waving from inside the cab as Santana joined her. Judy watched as the vehicle backed out of her driveway and disappeared down the street. Secretly praying for her Daughter's sake that she had the courage to do what she needed to have a chance at happiness.

xxx

"Come on, Q. Let's get some dancing in before we do our duet." Santana urged, tugging on the blonde's hand slightly.

"You really want to dance with me, when I'm like  _this_?"

"Sure, why not? I could try to pick you up and hold you... But I wouldn't want you to fall." Quinn blushed at the idea, ducking her head down to try the evidence. "Besides, do you see all of the glares I'm getting? Even in a wheelchair it looks like there are a lot of suitors wishing they would have asked."

Quinn looked up, she had been completely oblivious to the people watching them until that point. Some of them were curious, some of them seemed jealous and others appeared to think that the two of them looked cute. The blonde glanced toward her friend and her extended hand. Santana  _did_  look beautiful and to waste the opportunity would be foolish on her part.

"Okay."

A large smile pulled at Santana's lips and she pushed Quinn toward the dance floor excitedly.

Kurt and Blaine smiled over toward them, the shorter boy bending over slightly to compliment Quinn as they approached. "You look gorgeous!"

"Thank you." The blonde said, blushing slightly as he straightened back up.

"You too, Santana." Blaine added, pulling his boyfriend back into his arms.

"Thanks boys, you look pretty damn good yourselves. Mind if we join you?" Santana asked, flashing them a toothy grin.

"Sure. Aren't you two preforming soon?" Kurt asked, looking between the two girls.

"Yeah, we are. But we've got some time." Santana said, coming around so that she was facing Quinn. "May I have this dance?"

Quinn rolled her eyes but laughed and took Santana's hand in her own. "So proper."

"I try."

xxx

After dancing for a few more songs, it was finally time for Quinn and Santana to take the stage.

Santana wheeled her up to the stage and Quinn tried her best to ignore the way that a hush had fallen over the crowd of students watching them. Once they were centered on the stage, Santana on the right and Quinn the left, Santana handed the other girl her mic. Quinn thanked her quickly, trying to swallow her nerves and prepare herself to belt out  _Take My Breath Away_  before the other students.

Quinn started off the song, her voice strong but her hands trembling. She glanced up toward Santana, ignoring the other students dancing before them.

They were halfway through their performance when Quinn finally found the courage to grasp the mic stand firmly and raise herself onto unsteady legs.

Santana did a double take, her eyes widening when she realized what it was that the blonde had just did. She stepped to the left then, sliding a supportive arm around Quinn. Her friend leaned into her, shooting her a smile. She once again ignored her classmates and the collective gasp as they realized why her singing had faltered slightly.

When the song was done and the silver confetti had fallen, Santana glanced toward Quinn. "You're  _standing_." She said, her voice full of pride and a touch of awe.

"I wanted to surprise you... I hope you're not mad." The blonde said, leaning into Santana more heavily as she felt her legs beginning to weaken.

"Mad? Q... This is amazing! I'm so proud of you." Santana said, pulling her into a gentle hug before helping her back into her chair.

"T-thank you... I, uh, do you mind if we head home? I'm exhausted..."

Santana nodded with a small smile, "Of course. Let me get our jackets and I'll take you to the car."

Quinn wheeled herself toward the ramp attached to the stage, she didn't notice Kurt until he was just beside her. "That was pretty impressive. I'm glad to see that your therapy is working."

The blonde shot the boy a smile, "Thank you. It's been difficult... But worth it."

"Most things difficult are." His eyes trailed over to where Santana was grabbing their coats, "So... When are you going to ask her out?"

Quinn's eyes widened and she looked up toward the boy, "What?"

"Oh, you heard me, Fabray. She and Brittany aren't together right now. You and I both know those two are toxic for each other... Sure, they make each other happy sometimes but they hurt each other just as much, if not more."

Quinn's eyes drifted over toward where Brittany was dancing with some Jock, a small frown playing at her lips. "I-I don't know what it is you want _me_  to do about it. I'm not gay."

"Honey, you don't have to be. Regardless of your orientation, you're  _attracted_  to her. And I personally, think that you should go for it. She'd be an idiot not to say yes. You're beautiful, intelligent, talented... I'd continue but I wouldn't want to inflate your ego too much." Kurt said his smile softening.

Quinn wanted to respond but Santana was approaching them quickly, one eyebrow arched above the other. "Thanks, Kurt."

"No problem. Good luck." He said, waving goodbye as Santana wheeled her toward the exit.

xxx

"Could I ask you something?" Quinn asked, glancing toward Santana's profile as the brunette drove them home.

"Sure, what's up Q?"

Quinn swallowed, "Would you go to dinner with me?"

Santana's brows furrowed but she kept her eyes trained on the road, her hands flexing over the wheel. "Uh... You're going to have to clarify this for me because as a girl who dates girls... That sounds an awful lot like you asking me out, Fabray."

Quinn barely resisted the urge to sink deeper into her seat and instead did her best to meet Santana's gaze when the brunette glanced toward her. "I am."

She was known for being the girl who took what she wanted, for asking and receiving. But her hands were sweating and her heart was racing. Every second that passed without an answer felt like an excruciating eternity.

Finally, just as they were pulling up outside of Quinn's home, Santana answered. "Okay."

Quinn glanced toward her, surprised. "Really?"

"Uh, have you looked in a mirror lately? I've been wanting to get on that for years..." Santana muttered but it was obvious that she was just as nervous and embarrassed about the situation as the blonde was.

Quinn chuckled at that realization and glanced toward the front of her home, the living room light was on and casting lines through the blinds and over the front yard. "Mom's waiting up, can't keep her." She said, her hand resting on the passenger door.

"Yeah, okay." Santana said quickly, taking out her seat belt before coming around to help the other girl out of the car.

She leaned down once she had the door open to try and help Quinn to her feet but the blonde placed a tentative hand on her forearm. "Santana."

"Yeah?"

The brunette tipped her head upward slightly, her eyes widening as Quinn closed the distance between them. The kiss was chaste but it stole her breath regardless. "Thank you, for tonight. For everything."

"N-no problem, Fabray." Santana said, pulling away feeling a little light headed. She smiled before helping the blonde into the wheelchair and wheeling her to the door.

The brunette smiled as she slowed them to a stop, "Well, here we are..."

Quinn chuckled, "Dinner tomorrow, at eight?"

Santana was grateful for the darkness as her cheeks flushed. "Sure."

Quinn smiled and reached for the door but Santana stopped her. She bent down and caught the girl's attention before pressing their lips firmly together. "See you tomorrow, Q."


	4. Just Go With It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 6 Holiday Season (Future Fic / AU): Quinn takes Beth to the mall with her to get presents for her friends, while there, Beth asks if she can get a picture with Santa. Unfortunately Mr Claus stepped out because he was sick and a drunk and Mrs. Claus is his replacement. The two meet again, just a week later at Santana’s other job. Fate and maybe some friends, help bring them together.

Quinn smiled down at her daughter, squeezing Beth's tiny hand gently. "Are you having fun, honey?"

The smaller blonde nodded before pouting out her bottom lip slightly. "You know what would be more fun, Mommy?"

"What?" Quinn asked, smiling wider.

"A picture with Santa!" Beth exclaimed excitedly, pointing a tiny finger toward the center of the mall. The Mother followed her Daughter's gaze, a bit surprised by the fact that she had been able to see the photo op from so far away.

"Can we, can we?!"

"Of course! But we have to stay still so we don't hurt ourselves on the escalator, okay?"

"Okay." Beth said, immediately going serious and still. She remained that way until they were almost at the bottom and then she started to squirm again. As soon as the escalator came to the ground floor she lurched forward, tugging on Quinn's arm.

"Come on, Mommy!"

The two made their way through the crowded space and Quinn directed her daughter to the end of the line.

The older blonde's eyes peeked around the other parents and their children toward the large empty chair.

"What's wrong, Mommy?" Beth asked when she looked up and noticed her Mom's frown.

Quinn was about to answer when two men dressed as Elves emerged from the faux snow covered house. "I'm sorry kids, Santa is not feeling well and had to go back to the North Pole." The brunette Elf said, apologetically.

There was a group sound of disappointment and several parents moved to exit the line almost immediately.

"But," The blonde Elf said, speaking up in an attempt to keep people from leaving. "Mrs. Claus is more than happy to get her picture taken and pass on your gift ideas!"

Quinn glanced down toward Beth, ignoring the few people around them still leaving. "You want a picture with Mrs. Claus?"

"Yeah!" Beth said, jumping up and down excitedly.

Several minutes later, a woman emerged from the prop house in a more form fitting and feminine Santa outfit. It was a little short, in Quinn's opinion but Beth and the other children seemed excited.

Given how many people had abandoned the line and how quickly they were getting the pictures taken, it was Beth's turn in no time at all.

Quinn released her Daughter's hand, smiling as she watched the six year old run right up to Mrs. Claus. The women caught each others eyes before the brunette helped Beth onto her lap.

"Hello there and what's your name, Kiddo?"

"Beth!"

"Beth, alright, Beth... What do you want for Christmas?"

The little girl glanced toward her Mother before leaning in toward Mrs. Claus slightly. "It's a secret!"

"Hah, okay. I like you, kid. How about you whisper it in my ear?" She asked, leaning down a little more and turning her ear toward the child.

Beth hid her whispering behind her tiny hand and pulled away with a serious face when she was done.

Mrs. Claus glanced up toward Quinn, a surprised look on her face. She set Beth down gently from her lap, "I'll talk to Santa and we'll see what we can do."

Quinn stepped forward, mouthing a quick  _'thank you'_  before taking Beth's hand and leading her toward the exit where they could purchase their picture.

"What did you ask for, sweetie?" Quinn asked, paying the blonde Elf with a smile and thanking him as he handed her the freshly printed image.

"Can't tell you, it's a secret!" Beth said, swinging her Mom's arm as the two held hands and headed back to finish their shopping.

xxx

"Thank you so much for coming in and saving our asses, Santana!" The blonde man said, smiling broadly as he removed his hat and Elven ears.

"No problem, Sam. But you two owe me, big time." Santana said, looking between her two roommates.

"I figured..." The other man mumbled, taking off his own hat and smoothing down his gelled hair.

"Oh, can it Blaine. Did you have any better ideas?" Sam asked, unbuttoning the shirt to his costume.

"If Kurt hadn't been in class, he would have done it without asking anything in return..."

"Yeah,  _right_. I'm sure he'd love to waste his precious time in between NYADA classes to come down to the mall and dress up with you dorks."

The other brunette shot her a glare, "Oh, whatever. Don't tell me you weren't enjoying yourself. You had plenty of pretty women appreciative of your piss poor efforts with their children. If only they'd been able to hear what you were saying!"

Santana glanced toward her nails as if she was ignoring him and Blaine's features relaxed slightly. "You totally had the hots for that one Mom though, didn't you?"

"What, which one?" Santana asked, sounding a little shocked as she looked back toward him.

"The blonde one, with the cute little girl." Sam said, coming back into the conversation. "You were so much nicer to that kid... And for good reason, her Mom was a total MILF!"

"I'm going to tell Mercedes you said that." Blaine said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I don't know what you idiots are talking about, there were plenty of blonde Mom's with cute little-"

"Are you blushing?" Blaine asked, his thick eyebrows rising in surprise.

"She's totally blushing, dude." Sam said with a chuckle and Santana narrowed her eyes glaring at both of them.

"Fuck you, I'll see you later. Have fun playing Santa and his tight ass little skanky Elf on your own." She muttered, immediately getting up from the couch to grab her coat and stalk toward the door.

"Why, thank you. I do have an adorably tight ass." Blaine said, smirking as he watched her storm out of their little dressing area and back into the mall.

xxx

Santana sighed, looking out over the few patrons that had decided to venture out in the snow to come in for a drink. It was Christmas Eve, so she wasn't really all that surprised. Most people were at home in bed or with their families.

She hadn't wanted to bother going the whole way home for just one day, given she was to work the Friday just after Christmas. So she'd offered herself up for a long and boring shift Christmas Eve knowing that it would be easy money.

The young woman kept herself busy cleaning glasses and occasionally talking to anyone who was up for conversation. The only other woman staffed in the bar that night was currently out on break and Santana was bored out of her mind. There were three men up at the bar, all too drunk now to have a decent conversation with and the other patrons had tucked themselves off in the furthest corners of the room.

Santana looked up, eyes moving for the door when it was pulled open. A feminine figure bundled up tightly in layers stumbled in from the cold and immediately headed for the bar.

Santana had watched her approach but turned away as the woman took a seat and began to strip off some of her layers. "Still nasty out there, huh?" She asked, over the music.

"Yeah... At least we'll have a white Christmas." Came the woman's soft reply.

Santana smiled and grabbed a glass, "So, what's your poison?" Just after the words left her lips her throat ran dry. The woman who had just come up to the bar had beautiful shoulder length blonde hair with a slight wave to it.

"Oh, weren't you at the mall the other week? Mrs. Claus, right?" She asked, a wide smile pulling at her lips.

Santana swallowed and could feel her cheeks heating up. "Uh, yeah... I was just doing a favor for my roommates... You know, the two idiots that had been dressed like Elves?"

"Well, thank you. My Daughter really appreciated it." The blonde said, her smile shrinking slightly. "My name's Quinn and I'll have... Whatever strong drink you can recommend." She said, glancing toward the bottles lining the wall behind the bartender.

"Name's Santana and alright. I think I've got just the thing..." The brunette turned, scooping up some ice for the bottom of the glass before grabbing several bottles. "So, where's your kid tonight?"

She wasn't really known for her subtly and the fact that this well dressed Mother of a young girl was out on Christmas Eve was sort of rubbing her the wrong way. Santana glanced up from what she was doing when Quinn didn't respond right away.

"She's... With her Dad, back in Ohio. I get her throughout most of the year because of school and he gets her for the Holidays..."

 _'Shit.'_  Santana thought, gritting her teeth as she realized that she'd judged too quickly. "I- I'm sorry, I'm sort of known for speaking before I think."

"It's okay. I'd probably wonder the same thing, if I were in your position..." Quinn said, glancing down as she trailed her index finger against the wood grain of the bar. The two were quiet for several minutes before Santana slid the tall glass over the wood and toward the other woman.

"Here, on the house."

"You don't have to-"

"Hey, do you see what it is like in here tonight?" The brunette asked, leaning on her arms slightly and nodding toward the rest of the bar. Quinn glanced around, taking in how little business they were getting at the moment. "They're paying me extra just to work this shift, so, as an apology for my slip up... Let me buy you a drink."

The blonde nodded with a sigh, lifting the glass to take an exploratory sip. "Mmm. This is good, very fruity but... Are you sure there's any alcohol in it?" She asked, arching a delicate brow.

Santana laughed and swept her towel over the bar where some condensation had built up on the wood. "Yes, I promise you there is."

Quinn shrugged and took a deeper sip, before smacking her lips and placing the drink back down. "What's it called, for future reference?"

"Love Potion... Nice and sweet but with a kick. Normally a good starter for someone who doesn't drink often."

"Am I that obvious?" The blonde asked, with a chuckle.

"A little, normally people order their familiars first... Move into the experimentation phase later, once they've got a few drinks in them."

Quinn smiled shyly, giving Santana a look that said she only half believed that before drinking more of the delicious fruity concoction. "So, why are you working on Christmas Eve? Don't you want to be home with your family, your boyfrien-"

"Woah now. Just because I work at Coyote Ugly doesn't mean I'm into boys, blondie." The brunette said, leaning on the bar again. "I'm single and my family lives out of state, didn't seem worth the trip when I could be making money, instead of spending it." She finished, with a shrug.

The blonde gave a slow nod, her eyebrows having shot up at the quick correction. "Don't you... Get a lot of unwanted attention, working at a place like this?"

Santana laughed, "Isn't that anywhere? At least they'll tip here, even more if they've copped a feel and appreciate a good slap upside the head. Besides, now they treat me like one of the guys anymore. Most of the regulars know."

Quinn frowned a little and swirled her drink before taking a gulp of it.

"Look, I know what you're thinking... But it's okay. I knew what it was going to be like when I started here, or honestly... Even when I looked into bartending." Santana confessed, "It's good money and I enjoy the job."

Quinn nodded, "Sorry... Look, now I'm the one judging."

Santana laughed, "Not really."

The two stared at each other a moment, completely comfortable in the silence. Santana felt her heart flutter as the woman glanced down at her lips before draining the rest of the liquid in her glass. "I think I'd like another one of these."

The brunette slid off of the bar and swiped Quinn's glass to pour her the remainder of the first batch of the drink. "Alright but you might want to drink the second one a little slower..."

Quinn chuckled and covered her smile with her hand, "Yes, I think that would probably be a good idea..."

The two talked for a while, Quinn only had one more round of the drink aptly called Love Potion before sobering up for closing time. And when the time came, she bundled herself back up and bid Santana a quick goodbye before heading back into the cold.

xxx

"So Quinn, what did you do for Christmas? Did you get to see your parents?"

"No, Rachel... I didn't." The blonde said, ignoring the gasp of surprise from her roommate.

"What?! Quinn... I thought you said that they invited you to come home, with Beth?" The brunette asked, joining her friend on the couch.

"They did, I just... I didn't feel like going." She glanced toward Kurt who was nearby in the kitchen and shifting uncomfortably on his feet.

"You sent Beth to Ohio by herself?" Rachel asked incredulously and Quinn rolled her eyes.

"No, she flew with Kurt both ways because he's amazing."

Kurt returned the grateful smile the blonde was giving him and did his best to not wilt under Rachel's glare as he joined the two of them in the living room.

"I feel so out of the loop! It would have been nice for one of you to tell me what was going on..."

"Rachel, you were upstate for most of the month! We didn't think it would matter..." Quinn groaned, rubbing at her temples.

"She's my Godchild! What if something would have happened to her? I'd never forgive myself..." The brunette frowned, realizing that Quinn had already gone back to her book and Kurt was looking at something on his phone. "Wait, you've used  _this_ , my protective feelings for your Daughter as a distraction! If you didn't go home, what did you do on Christmas?"

Kurt looked up from his phone, clearly interested in hearing the answer as well. Quinn sighed and closed her book, "I went to a bar."

"What?" The two brunettes asked in unison, both equally shocked by the blonde's admission.

"Are bars even open on Christmas?" Rachel asked, looking toward Kurt seeing as she wasn't an expert on the holiday.

"Well, not Christmas... Christmas I mostly spent sleeping and relaxing, I also Skyped with Beth when she got home from her visiting extended family. I went out to the bar Christmas Eve." Quinn corrected, as if it made this part of the conversation any more normal.

"But you hate bars." Kurt pointed out, placing his phone on the coffee table and getting more comfortable now that the conversation had shifted.

"I... I wasn't in a good place, okay? I just, I needed to not feel for a little while." Quinn admitted softly, avoiding her friends' worried gazes.

"Quinn... You should have called, I would have come home early." Rachel said, covering the blonde's hand with her own.

"It wasn't really so bad... The bartender was really cool and she made me this delicious drink, you two would love it!"

"What's it called?" Kurt asked and Rachel shot him a look, not liking that they were moving past Quinn's emotions so quickly.

"Love Potion, I didn't see what she put in it but it tasted amazing... And it still had enough alcohol in it to get you drunk."

"I don't like the idea of you spending Christmas alone in some seedy bar... Having a stranger make you a drink called 'love potion.' It sounds like an alias for a drink containing a date rape drug." Rachel said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Actually... I kind of knew her."

"You  _what_?" Kurt and Rachel asked at the same time.

"Do you remember the story about that Mrs. Claus the other week?" Quinn asked, trying her best to fight the smile that was threatening to pull at her lips just thinking about Santana.

"Oh, yes... The one you thought was attractive." Rachel said, the tension in her body relaxing slightly.

"Wait, what?" Kurt asked, looking between the two of them.

"Oh yes, she didn't tell you that part?" The other brunette asked, a sneaky smile twisting the corner of her mouth.

"She seemed to forget to tell me the entire story, which mall?" Kurt asked, narrowing his eyes at his friend. She had barely gotten out her response when the man busted into a loud full on laugh. "Do you remember the brunette Elf? Shorter, a little more stocky?"

"Yes?" Quinn asked, looking a bit surprised.

"That's Blaine, the guy you two have been hearing about." Kurt admitted after his laughter had calmed a little.

"Oh, Kurt! He's adorable! And he knows Santana... What a small world!" Quinn said, utterly amused by the fact that she had met her friend's new boyfriend without even realizing it.

"They're roommates, I've met her a few times... She's single and I hear she likes blondes." He said, leaning his chin on his palm and wiggling his eyebrows. "Please tell me you left her your number on a napkin or something."

"No... I didn't." Quinn said, moving her eyes away from Kurt's.

"Why not? You're into her, aren't you? What if I hadn't known her, were you just going to go back to that bar and get drunk again?" He asked, a little amused.

"Maybe." Quinn mumbled, crossing her arms over her chest to mirror Rachel's earlier posture.

"Well, if you do... Ask her out this time. Or I'll do it for you." He warned, jumping out of the chair he'd been sitting in and swiping up his phone before heading toward his room.

"You wouldn't dare!" Quinn called after him, twisting around to glare at him over the back of the couch.

"If he doesn't, I will." Rachel said, smiling as she slipped off of the couch to head to her room as well.

"You're both traitors!" Quinn called after them, her cheeks flushed a shade darker than normal as she went back to her book.

xxx

Quinn shivered, shoving her hands deep into the pockets of her winter coat as she walked down the street toward the restaurant Rachel and Kurt had asked her to meet up with them at. Apparently they'd nailed their performances at NYADA and wanted to celebrate. It wasn't exactly a new practice for the two but given all three of them would be out, Quinn had to scramble a bit to find a babysitter.

Luckily, a friend from school had been looking for a little extra cash and had offered to do it after seeing the blonde's post on Facebook. Beth had been a little disappointed that she couldn't tag along but Rachel and Kurt had both warned Quinn that they planned on having her drink, after bringing up her trip to a bar up not even a week before.

The blonde sighed in relief as she stepped inside from the cold, instantly feeling the warmth of the building. A man offered to take her coat for her and the blonde blushed, not expecting such a fancy place. Once he'd gotten her coat on the hanger, he pulled a strip of paper from his pocket and jotted down the number on the hanger. "Just hand this to whoever is here when you go to leave, I do hope that you enjoy your meal."

"T-thank you." Quinn said, smiling at the man before turning and heading toward the front counter as he moved on to the group that had come in behind her.

"Hello, name please?" The woman behind the computer asked, not nearly as friendly as the man the blonde had just been talking to.

"I believe the reservation is under the last name Hummel." Quinn said, a little quietly. She watched as the woman entered the name, clicking a few times before nodding toward the waitress standing nearby. "Tina will direct you to your table, I do hope you enjoy your meal."

Quinn followed the woman back into the main room of the restaurant and was immediately blown away by the large space and its high ceiling. She was almost too busy taking in the grandeur to notice that she was passing her friends who were already seated at a table. If it weren't for a hand skimming her forearm, she would have been completely oblivious to their presence.

"Have fun." Kurt said with a wink and Quinn nearly stopped in her tracks.

"What?" Her eyes found Rachel's and the other woman was grinning from ear to ear, that much was obvious even though she had her hands over her mouth.

"Are you coming, Miss?" The waitress asked, Quinn shot her friends one more look before following the other woman into a smaller and more private side room. The lights were dimmer here and there was a large marble fireplace built in into the wall across from the doorway.

Quinn wasn't as distracted by the decor and architecture this time, however and it didn't take her long to spot the table they were headed for. Her mouth went dry as she noticed a brunette in a red dress seated alone at a table in the corner. They were almost there when Santana turned, her eyes widening when they fell on Quinn.

The blonde took the seat across from Santana and the two remained silent as Tina placed their menus down on the table in front of them, "Can I start you off with something to drink?"

They ordered quickly, both opting for a simple water with lemon before the waitress left them to fill the order.

"Hi." Santana said, arching a brow and folding her arms on the table. "Is this a set up? Because it feels like a set up..."

"It is." Quinn said, dropping her gaze. "Apparently... One of my roommates is dating one of yours."

"That figures. I was wondering why you would be coming to a table that had been reserved under the last name Hummel... Huh, small world." The brunette said, smiling as she took in the blush that was making its way across Quinn's features.

"Yeah... I'm sorry. My friends are... They don't really know boundaries."

Santana's smile widened, "They sound like my kind of people."

Quinn blinked and narrowed her eyes before tilting her head at the other woman. "So... Do you just want to go with it then?"

"Why not? I mean... This normally isn't how I pick up women, I'd like to think that I've got more game than that but... I like you. And your daughter is cute, too."

Quinn's heart fluttered in her chest and she couldn't help but smile. "We're going to have to figure out a way to explain to her why Mrs. Claus isn't in the North Pole."

Santana shrugged, "We'll just say that it's her Christmas wish coming true."

"She never told me what that was..." The blonde said, her smile falling slightly as a look of curiosity took its place.

"Well, I'd tell you... But then we'd risk it not coming true." Santana said, the blonde was about to push the subject when Tina returned with their drinks.

Quinn watched as Santana explained that they hadn't had a chance to look at the menu yet but that they could figure it out quickly. Although she was extremely curious about her daughter's wish she decided to drop the subject and opened up the menu.

She was going to have a talk with Rachel and Kurt later but for now, she was just going to enjoy her date.

xxx

_"It's a secret!"_

_"Hah, okay. I like you, kid. How about you whisper it in my ear?" Santana asked, leaning down a little more and turning her ear toward the child._

_"I want Mommy to stop crying when she thinks I'm sleeping... I want her to be happy."_

x

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm a bit iffy on the end, that seems to be my problem area as of late... I love the rest of this one-shot though and I hope that you guys do too! Fluffy cute stuff isn't normally my thing but this idea got stuck in my head and when I saw the Holiday theme I just had to do it. :D


End file.
